Comments on: Franchise tag may not be part of NBA’s future after all http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/03/franchise-tag-may-not-be-part-of-nba%e2%80%99s-future-after-all/ Basketball - NBC Sports Sun, 19 May 2013 11:52:31 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: wizahdry http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/03/franchise-tag-may-not-be-part-of-nba%e2%80%99s-future-after-all/comment-page-1/#comment-44348 Sat, 04 Jun 2011 02:55:54 +0000 http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=25272#comment-44348 NBA needs to do something. If the league is losing money now what is going to happen when the top 20 players in the league are split among only the biggest 8 markets and the other 20 something teams have no one interesting to watch. As it is the NBA has the least amount of parity in sports. Since 1984 only 7 different teams have one the championship. That will remain in tact if Miami wins this year.
If the NBA title has only been hoisted by a little more than 1/4 of the total teams when each team had at least one superstar I don’t see it getting any better now. Lebron has set the precedent. Teams need to have a way to control their drafted stars longer. Otherwise, might as well contract now and just have an 8-10 team league. The league will be further in the red when 70-75 % of the arenas are empty with no one watching.

]]> By: sportsinhd http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2011/06/03/franchise-tag-may-not-be-part-of-nba%e2%80%99s-future-after-all/comment-page-1/#comment-44309 Fri, 03 Jun 2011 19:19:49 +0000 http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/?p=25272#comment-44309 It would be a mistake if the NBA didn’t pursue a “franchise tag” a la the NFL. If players are allowed to hold their teams hostage and trade them for pennies on the dollar (Melo), the NBA will end up “top heavy.” Players will figure out a way to end up only in the big markets and small market teams will suffer. It won’t quite be Major League Baseball, but it will be difficult for the Sacramento’s of the world to rebuild.

I know what some of you are thinking “it’s all about the salary,” but sometimes it’s not. You can make more money off of endorsements and playing on a winning team, especially when the salary cap is lowered in the next CBA.

Right now teams gamble when a formerly signed player won’t renew a contract and they go on the free market. Obviously Cleveland comes to mind, and LeBron was certainly within his rights to do whatever he wanted, but what could the Cavs have done differently in that situation? If you were the GM of that team you would have gone all out for James too, and if it falls apart you aren’t left with any recourse. At least one or two years of “franchise tags” would keep certain franchises from absolute collapse.

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