The small market and less profitable teams shouldn’t be angry at the players, they should be angry at the large market owners. Player cost is a FIXED PERCENTAGE at 57% (which is what owners wanted from the last Lockout) The actual dollar amount keeps rising because teams like the Lakers make 3 Billion dollar Television deals but they don’t have to share those profits with the other teams. This is where it gets painful for the small market teams, the profit the Lakers make pushes the total amount of Basketball Related Revenue up making the smaller teams have to pay more even though they don’t share in any of the profits. Its like when you go to a restaurant with a bunch of people and you’re going to split the check evenly, but you ordered french fries while the others at the table order Steak and Shrimp and Lobster. You don’t get to eat their food, but you now share equally in the rising cost of the tab.

Honestly, before there is talk about the Eddy Currys, Reshard Lewises, and Gilbert Arenas of the world, the owners have to figure out how to share a larger piece of their pie with each other so they all can all enjoy the meal. OR they can go to a baseball style system where contracts are negotiated pretty much between parties, there is no salary cap floor or ceiling and player contracts aren’t tied to any revenues. If the player negotiates a guaranteed contract, then its guaranteed, if the team negotiates buy outs in the later years then the team does that. And both sides can request insert Arbitration language in the deal so if they over or under perform the terms can be adjusted.