I don't think maxes get bumped up because low maxes are so great for all the non-max non-minimum guys and there's more of those guys hence more union votes.

Low maxes also means that max guys get the benefit of being treated like super-assets.

They have no cap space, can a different team sign and trade him using cap space for Shump? Or are only the original teams allowed to s&t players?

right, status quo is best for all parties but superstar pay but then they get ancillary income bump from outside sources when the game becomes more popular in both the short and long run.

things have a natural way of finding their equilibrium. anything else is just chatter since basically all the big stuff is over with. Russ or Millsap getting moved might take all year. I think Atl just maxes him tho, unless now he's rubbed the wrong way if they've been shopping him. Unless he ring chases I guess.

you'd think the union would be against removing max contracts but Michele Roberts mentions it every time she does media. If she's saying it, the union is for it.

dlee fit on a vet min?

iggy, dlee & s dot second team seems like a good thing

or she's smart enough to use it as a bargaining tactic

I could see the owner's being deathly afraid of that. Oh noes - the cap could be next!

You said the following.

Now you say that you were not arguing that Lebron had proven that Curry and KD needed to team up to beat him, but rather were explaining the terrible argument that casual fans were going to make.

Based on the quotes above, I'm sure you can understand how several of us were confused. I'll leave it at that.

The DWade rumor is that he signs in Denver or wherever as part of an agreement to trade him to the Cavs on December 15th (the 1st day he's eligible to be traded).

Pretty sure it's the only way it works with no cooperation expected from Miami (unless LeBron resigns for the minimum or something).

Why would regular players ever support increasing max contracts? 90%+ of players make more money because of the artificially low max contract spreading out money everywhere else. Why would they ever vote to give away money out of their own pockets so that LeBron and a few others can make even more money?

Union leadership /= the union. There are plenty of instances in unions all over the place where the leadership does not represent the best interests of the majority of the union. That leadership eventually gets replaced.

So she is either representing the superstars like LeBron who are over-influencing her (and against the rest of the union), or as DI mentioned, simply negotiating without really meaning it. Either way, it does not mean that "the union" supports increasing or removing max contracts.

I don't think you can do that

all these scrubs arent banking 12 million if labron and durant could be given 60

Where am I saying that they needed to team up to beat him though? I'm saying if I were a fan I wouldn't feel right about this being the narrative, and I actually believe that. Imo it's akin to say winning a series when the other team loses their best player to injury, it loses its lustre to an extent.

Well yeah, it's pretty clearly collusion. However, if he happened to sign with the Nugs & the Nugs decided on December 15th, hey we're out of it, let us trade this old, & the Cavs were like heyyy, we have this pretty sweet offer for this player you no longer want & is now eligible to be traded...

Isn't that illegal? I would be so happy but it seems pretty shady at best.

can't tell anyone how to feel, but i think you are lying to yourself

edit: that being said i feel that the narratives are and have always been largely bull****. but there is some irony here in that the emphasis of narratives on #winning and the power of narratives to undermine the accomplishments of great players who don't win almost certainly played a large role in durant going to the dubs

I don't see how having 3/32 teams with ring equity (even teams 4-8 just have other team injury equity) can be good for the league. Keeping a broad fan base interested in their team is the whole reason for half the NBA making the playoffs, the extra wildcards in MLB, etc.

Last 2 years I bought league pass to watch some ATL games, no way I'm buying it this year. Only exception might be watching young players in for philly and minny fans, but that can't offset the losses to the 4-20 teams.

Well, yeah. I guess you spin it as DWade feels disrespected by the Heat for their offers & mismanaging of his career, so he goes & signs somewhere with space so he can get paid in full, & it just doesn't quite work out there, sooooo...

I mean the main problem is that this rumor is out there now, otherwise, it could all be plausibly denied.

Come on, man. You were being a silly troll. We all troll from time to time. Just admit it. Don't channel our beloved (and soon to be departed) semantIKES and blame the readers for being confused.

this is what I mean by soft parity, it's only maybe 5 as it is currently

you Atlanta and Boston fans that are wont to delusion currently - will still do so ... and you're right! who knows what could happen?

Cavs are being used as leverage.

I don't think Wade turns down 25 million a year for 2 years even if rings are guaranteed in Cleveland and the best team to go out of the west is 2003 Nets.

Either that, or pay Wade his money, LeBron eats the minimum and Cleveland has to gut their team, which is ******ed.

Agreed!

It was ok when...

KGarnett/Ray Allen went to join Pierce for big 3.

Lebron/Bosh join dwade for big 3 plus sign as many free agents as possible wanting to play w/lebron for the ring.

Lebron/Klove/Jr Smith/Shump/Mosgove joining Kyrie and TT in cleveland.

But then GSW sign ONE(notice how the other teams added 2 big free agents to join a superstar) big free agent as the rest of the team built through draft and are now hated and saying unfair/awful for the league. Haters gonna hate. Funny part is they are the coolest dudes in the league while being hated.

just realized i gotta get a new avatar

edit: this dunk was sick, saw it live

Lol