NBA

Mark Cuban Answers the Question On NBA Salary Caps

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Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports

LeBron James has been very vocal about the new upcoming television deal that the NBA will be signing for $2.66 billion annually. To put that in perspective, that is almost three times the value of the league’s current deal. James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant have made it plain their frustration with the current caps that have impinged their abilities to make the maximum amount possible. Bryant stated on his Twitter account, “Players are ‘encouraged’ per new CBA to take less to win or risk being called selfish+ungrateful (sic) while nbatv deal goes UP by a BILLION #biz.”

I am sympathetic to these players. Surely they should be able to make the kind of money that they are worth, or at least are bringing to the team, which in many cases is double or triple what they get paid per year. But at the same time, this is a team game. While I wouldn’t sit here and exclaim that the 12th man on the bench is as important as LeBron James, he still makes up one man on the roster and should be able to make some money off of playing for his team, shouldn’t he? Surely Bryant and James couldn’t be that selfish. If there is a minimum amount players on rosters should make, then should there be a maximum?

That was the subject of labor negotiations in the previous collective bargaining agreement. Teams operate under a surplus such as the Miami Heat, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Clippers. But how about the Milwaukee Bucks? What about the Orlando Magic? Are these teams making the kind of money that the super teams are?

The new television deal might answer that question with an emphatic yes, to which players will respond like Rod Tidwell, “Show me the money!” Mark Cuban has responded to Durant’s comments to about salary caps on players by agreeing with him. However, just like all negotiations, there needs to be a give and take. Cuban states that in order for salary caps to be removed, players should not request guaranteed money. Right now, the NBA gives guaranteed money for these players. This is precisely why Cuban is on “Shark Tank” and is a respected figure in business. I agree with him completely. If players desire to remove a salary cap then they should not be getting guaranteed money. Derrick Rose should not receive $35 million guaranteed money on his contract for two seasons where he didn’t even suit up. All of those games missed and all of those playoff series that were led by Joakim Noah were ones that sorely needed their leader and highest paid player. Amar’e Stoudemire shouldn’t be receiving his guaranteed contract on legs that have been duct-taped together if there is no cap.

Notice what I am saying: I believe that players should be able to make the money that is due to them. But if LeBron should have the freedom to make as much money as he can, then teams should have the freedom to not pay him if he got injured. Unless, of course, that is not a good deal for him. Losing the salary cap would be terrible for the league and terrible for players. While players should be negotiating a higher cap, they should not want that cap removed.

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