Lockout & Trade Debacle
The NBA lockout lasted 160 days and cost the league 240 total games and I’m here to tell you that the players won…yet again. For all the histrionics and mentions of “nuclear winter” and cancelled seasons all the players really gave up was a huge chuck of Basketball Related Income (BRI). I’m not trying to gloss over the difference between 57% and 49-51% of BRI (about $300 million per season) but there is still a soft salary cap, fully guaranteed contracts and no roll-backs of current contracts. If you’re scoring at home that’s a win-win-win for the players on three big issues. Not to mention that trade rules were loosened and the minimum team salary floor was raised. Two more wins for the players.
This lockout really had nothing to do with the players though. It was all about big market owners versus small market owners with the players more or less stuck in the middle. The fear amongst small market clubs (particularly those with new owners) was that the NBA was slowly morphing into the haves and haves nots similar to how Major League Baseball (MLB) operates. I give the lockout credit for nothing else besides opening my eyes to this fact.
In the end the little guys did manage to approximately triple the amount of money that is revenue-shared and made the luxury tax far more punitive. Theoretically these things should level the playing field but in practice I’m not so sure they will. Only time will tell I suppose but I really want to move on from the lockout and get to the crux of the problem, which is that Commissioner David Stern lost control of his constituents.
Larry Coon on what changed in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Bill Simmons on the behind the scenes machinations of the lockout.
In recent years the NBA has seen a new breed of owner come into the league. Gone are the Abe Pollin’s, Gordon Gund’s and Bill Davidson’s of the world, or the men who made a financial killing under Stern’s watch. Pretty much all of the newer owners in the league paid handsomely for their franchises and have been losing money ever since. You combine these new guys with their small market brethren and you have a legitimate split at the top of the NBA hierarchy. That faction was at odds with people like Jerry Buss, Mark Cuban and James Dolan who thought things were just fine as they were. In years past this is where “Easy Dave” would step in and either bully or charm enough of the room to get everyone on the same page. Well that didn’t happen this time around as evidenced by the 24-5 passing owner’s vote of the new CBA.
If only that was the end of the story, but on the same day that the owners ratified the new CBA the Lakers, Rockets and Hornets agreed on blockbuster trade that would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles, Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and New York’s 2012 first round draft pick to New Orleans. This deal was signed, sealed and delivered to the point of CP3 having a flight to LA and Lam-Lam crying on Stephen A. Smith’s radio show.
So what happened?
The small market owners created such an uproar that the Commish vetoed what was a very fair deal all the way around at the last second citing the extraordinarily dubious “basketball reasons.” It is unprecedented for any trade to get so far down the line that every player and agent is notified only to have the league say “Psych!” Since I can’t do a better job than Adrian Wojnarowski of explaining all the angles behind what is arguably the most sordid moment in sports history I won’t even try.
Instead I want to focus on what the Hornets actually got in exchange for CP3 and explain why, on a purely basketball level, that they didn’t do anywhere near as well as most experts are saying. I’m not blaming NOLA GM Dell Demps at all, because as the Commissioner has gone on record saying, NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson was the man calling the shots. The same Stu Jackson who ran the Vancouver Grizzlies so poorly that they moved to Memphis after only six seasons. This guy is pretty much universally known as a horrible GM, but whatever, he was acting in the “best interest” of the franchise. You know, because he did such a good job of that in the past.
Anyway, the Hornets ended up trading Paul and two second round picks in 2015 to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota’s 2012 first rounder. I find it outrageously hypocritical that Dan Gilbert, Mark Cuban and Michael Jordan had no problems with this trade even though it was another small to big market move. I guess the moral to the story is everyone loved sticking it to the Lakers and took their opportunity to seize the moment.
But I digress. In two years NOLA will have Aminu and whoever they get with that Timberwolves pick to show for their franchise player. The reason I say that is because Kaman is in the last year of his contract and there is no way he is resigning there. And per what I’m reading Gordon has already made it known to the powers that be that he desperately wants out of the Bayou. So unless they are able to turn Kaman and Gordon into something else this was a fleecing of the highest order.
Don’t believe me? Compare what Jackson and Stern obtained for their superstar to what Denver’s Masai Ujiri got for Carmelo Anthony:
Andre Miller, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, Jordan Hamilton, New York’s 2014 first round pick, Golden State’s 2012 & 2013 second round picks, Portland’s 2013 second round pick, the right to exchange first round picks with New York in 2016 and $3 million.
How about what Utah’s Kevin O’Connor received for Deron Williams:
Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Golden State’s 2012 first round pick (top 7 protected) and $3 million.
Hmmmm, are you feeling me now?
Here’s what Stern and Jackson weren’t thinking about when they completely shafted the Lakers and Rockets; the resale value of Odom, Scola, Martin and even Dragic (a very serviceable backup PG). Throwing out the fact that those four make them a competitive team, you know the kind that the people who bought 10,000+ season tickets would like to see. Martin is overpaid but is one of the most efficient SGs in the Association. Scola is fairly paid and one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Odom is actually underpaid and in the last year of his contract (he has a team option for next season).
My point being that a wise GM with a little patience, like say Sam Presti, could have flipped all of those guys (except Dragic) to desperate contenders who either needed an injury replacement or a little extra something to get them over the hump. All while putting a decent product on the floor at the same time. I’m not even mentioning that Minnesota’s pick likely won’t be as high as most people think (it will be better than New York’s though), unless they get lucky in the draft lottery of course. Imagine that one, an NBA owned franchise winning the lottery? And you thought the non-trade was a PR disaster.
This is why I am saying unequivocally that it’s time for David Stern to go. I’ve been one of his biggest defenders (total apologist) over the years but when people are comparing the NBA to MLB, and I’m actually agreeing with them, it’s time for a change. The lockout was handled like a shell game trying to distract the public from the real issues. And even though Stern says he doesn’t care about his legacy the vetoed trade will forever walk with him like the Scarlet Letter. Now I’m not saying that Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver is the man for the job by any means but an out-of-the-box thinker is what the NBA needs right now. Someone…like…say…ME!
This lockout really had nothing to do with the players though. It was all about big market owners versus small market owners with the players more or less stuck in the middle. The fear amongst small market clubs (particularly those with new owners) was that the NBA was slowly morphing into the haves and haves nots similar to how Major League Baseball (MLB) operates. I give the lockout credit for nothing else besides opening my eyes to this fact.
In the end the little guys did manage to approximately triple the amount of money that is revenue-shared and made the luxury tax far more punitive. Theoretically these things should level the playing field but in practice I’m not so sure they will. Only time will tell I suppose but I really want to move on from the lockout and get to the crux of the problem, which is that Commissioner David Stern lost control of his constituents.
Larry Coon on what changed in the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
Bill Simmons on the behind the scenes machinations of the lockout.
In recent years the NBA has seen a new breed of owner come into the league. Gone are the Abe Pollin’s, Gordon Gund’s and Bill Davidson’s of the world, or the men who made a financial killing under Stern’s watch. Pretty much all of the newer owners in the league paid handsomely for their franchises and have been losing money ever since. You combine these new guys with their small market brethren and you have a legitimate split at the top of the NBA hierarchy. That faction was at odds with people like Jerry Buss, Mark Cuban and James Dolan who thought things were just fine as they were. In years past this is where “Easy Dave” would step in and either bully or charm enough of the room to get everyone on the same page. Well that didn’t happen this time around as evidenced by the 24-5 passing owner’s vote of the new CBA.
If only that was the end of the story, but on the same day that the owners ratified the new CBA the Lakers, Rockets and Hornets agreed on blockbuster trade that would have sent Chris Paul to Los Angeles, Pau Gasol to Houston and Lamar Odom, Luis Scola, Kevin Martin, Goran Dragic and New York’s 2012 first round draft pick to New Orleans. This deal was signed, sealed and delivered to the point of CP3 having a flight to LA and Lam-Lam crying on Stephen A. Smith’s radio show.
So what happened?
The small market owners created such an uproar that the Commish vetoed what was a very fair deal all the way around at the last second citing the extraordinarily dubious “basketball reasons.” It is unprecedented for any trade to get so far down the line that every player and agent is notified only to have the league say “Psych!” Since I can’t do a better job than Adrian Wojnarowski of explaining all the angles behind what is arguably the most sordid moment in sports history I won’t even try.
Instead I want to focus on what the Hornets actually got in exchange for CP3 and explain why, on a purely basketball level, that they didn’t do anywhere near as well as most experts are saying. I’m not blaming NOLA GM Dell Demps at all, because as the Commissioner has gone on record saying, NBA Executive Vice President Stu Jackson was the man calling the shots. The same Stu Jackson who ran the Vancouver Grizzlies so poorly that they moved to Memphis after only six seasons. This guy is pretty much universally known as a horrible GM, but whatever, he was acting in the “best interest” of the franchise. You know, because he did such a good job of that in the past.
Anyway, the Hornets ended up trading Paul and two second round picks in 2015 to the Clippers for Eric Gordon, Chris Kaman, Al-Farouq Aminu and Minnesota’s 2012 first rounder. I find it outrageously hypocritical that Dan Gilbert, Mark Cuban and Michael Jordan had no problems with this trade even though it was another small to big market move. I guess the moral to the story is everyone loved sticking it to the Lakers and took their opportunity to seize the moment.
But I digress. In two years NOLA will have Aminu and whoever they get with that Timberwolves pick to show for their franchise player. The reason I say that is because Kaman is in the last year of his contract and there is no way he is resigning there. And per what I’m reading Gordon has already made it known to the powers that be that he desperately wants out of the Bayou. So unless they are able to turn Kaman and Gordon into something else this was a fleecing of the highest order.
Don’t believe me? Compare what Jackson and Stern obtained for their superstar to what Denver’s Masai Ujiri got for Carmelo Anthony:
Andre Miller, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Timofey Mozgov, Kosta Koufos, Jordan Hamilton, New York’s 2014 first round pick, Golden State’s 2012 & 2013 second round picks, Portland’s 2013 second round pick, the right to exchange first round picks with New York in 2016 and $3 million.
How about what Utah’s Kevin O’Connor received for Deron Williams:
Devin Harris, Derrick Favors, Enes Kanter, Golden State’s 2012 first round pick (top 7 protected) and $3 million.
Hmmmm, are you feeling me now?
Here’s what Stern and Jackson weren’t thinking about when they completely shafted the Lakers and Rockets; the resale value of Odom, Scola, Martin and even Dragic (a very serviceable backup PG). Throwing out the fact that those four make them a competitive team, you know the kind that the people who bought 10,000+ season tickets would like to see. Martin is overpaid but is one of the most efficient SGs in the Association. Scola is fairly paid and one of the most underrated players in the NBA. Odom is actually underpaid and in the last year of his contract (he has a team option for next season).
My point being that a wise GM with a little patience, like say Sam Presti, could have flipped all of those guys (except Dragic) to desperate contenders who either needed an injury replacement or a little extra something to get them over the hump. All while putting a decent product on the floor at the same time. I’m not even mentioning that Minnesota’s pick likely won’t be as high as most people think (it will be better than New York’s though), unless they get lucky in the draft lottery of course. Imagine that one, an NBA owned franchise winning the lottery? And you thought the non-trade was a PR disaster.
This is why I am saying unequivocally that it’s time for David Stern to go. I’ve been one of his biggest defenders (total apologist) over the years but when people are comparing the NBA to MLB, and I’m actually agreeing with them, it’s time for a change. The lockout was handled like a shell game trying to distract the public from the real issues. And even though Stern says he doesn’t care about his legacy the vetoed trade will forever walk with him like the Scarlet Letter. Now I’m not saying that Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver is the man for the job by any means but an out-of-the-box thinker is what the NBA needs right now. Someone…like…say…ME!
posted by D$ at 9:14 PM
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