NBA Lockout: Cleveland Cavaliers' Fan Guide to the Important Issues

Will it be worthwhile to support the latest version of the Cavaliers following the 2011 NBA lockout?

The concerning issues for Cavs fans will also be at the forefront of discussions held between the NBA's players and owners. Can small-market teams compete with New York, LA or teams with a warm climate?

Would the NBA prefer having super-power teams destined to play in the NBA finals, or should every team feel like they have a chance at winning on the first day of the season?

The decisions made during the 2011 NBA lockout will answer these questions, and the following slides argue the issues that will benefit league-wide competition, so teams like the Cavs can continue to compete.

Hard Cap Replacing the Current Soft Cap

As NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver has stated, the willingness to pay the luxury tax has created a league of haves and have-nots. Overspending has become a requirement to win, as the past ten NBA finals contestants have exceeded the team salary cap. 

If a hard cap is attained, teams would be limited to how many great players they can sign. To better understand the improvement, let’s say there are 24 superstars in the league. Under the current soft cap, teams have the ability to sign three of these players.

The worst case scenario for an even distribution of superstars would have those players play on eight different teams. 

A hard cap might only permit a team to sign one superstar, allowing 24 different teams to sign one of these superstar players. 

The soft cap has seen LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Carmelo Anthony and Deron Williams all leave their respective teams, damaging each past team’s franchise and their connection with the fans. A hard cap might have denied those moves, providing greater parity in the NBA.

Shortened Length of Guaranteed Contracts

Shorter contracts mean more flexibility for teams to build contenders and recoup losses for past mistakes.  

If a mistake is made while rebuilding the Cavs, the consequences would not last as long if the maximum contract length is reduced. Shawn Kemp’s seven year contract hand-cuffed the Cavs from 1998 to 2000, and even Zydrunas Illgauskas’ five year contract extension gave the Cavs few options in free agency in attempts to build a championship team.

Increased Ability to Keep Franchise Players

Superstars sell tickets. 

Over the past five years, the top five teams in league attendance are responsible for 34 All-Star Game appearances. The bottom five only account for seven, averaging 1.4 All-Stars per year. 

If a team cannot keep their superstar, they will have problems selling tickets. If the league’s talent is all concentrated around a group of six to eight cities, then the other franchises will suffer. 

When Kyrie Irving, Tristan Thompson and next year’s potentially high draft pick reach their contract expiration, will the Cavs lose these players to teams with unlimited resources?

Let's hope a franchise tag or the results of a hard cap will make it easier for teams to keep their star players.

Eliminate Sign and Trades

The Larry Bird Exception is broken.  

These “Bird Free Agents” can be signed by their current team at an amount that exceeds the salary cap, and that will exceed any amount offered by other teams. 

Where that goes wrong has been shown with LeBron James and Chris Bosh. Both James and Bosh wanted full Bird rights to a max contract, so they forced a sign and trade with their respective teams, who would be left in the cold with no retribution if they said no. 

To give more leverage to hometown teams, the NBA should take a page out of baseball’s collective bargaining agreement and automatically compensate teams losing free agents with draft picks or cash. The benefits of being loyal should only be awarded to those who deserve it.

Keep the Rookie Contract Rules

The NBA has it right when it comes to rookie contracts, avoiding the problems the NFL has with inflated rookie salaries and preseason holdouts. If a rookie doesn’t work out, a team has the option to keep the player in his third and/or fourth years. 

The Cavs also have it right when it comes to rebuilding through the draft, as new draft picks will make a smaller impact on the salary cap if a hard limit is set following the lockout. 

Kyrie Irving will only account for an estimated 7.5 percent of the Cavs’ cap figure, while Tristan Thompson will account for 5.5 percent. The Cavs’ interest in acquiring future draft picks through trades will pay dividends not only with young prospects, but with continued cap-friendly contracts.

Fans Don’t Lose, Players and Owners Lose

Even if fans are discouraged or angered by the strike, they’ll most likely be there for the NBA once they decide to come back to play. Fans will still watch the finals, catch a couple of games from their hometown team, and if they’re competitive, maybe more.

What is at stake is billions of dollars in opportunity.

The NBA has the opportunity to create an environment that greater resembles the NFL, where every team has a fighting chance at the beginning of the season. Fans stand by their favorite superstar, and are willing to shell out money on a weekly basis.

How much more money? Some estimates say nearly $4 billion more. 

Throw away the next season and $4 billion dollars go down the drain. It’s the players and owners choice on how much money they want lose, and how much they can gain.