It’s ironic that the Knicks will have arrived at fiscal responsibility a year before the NBA team ownership finally saves themselves from financial ruin by instituting a lockout after the 2010-2011 season. For Knicks fans, whose team has been the embodiment of reckless spending and paralyzing long-term contracts for the past decade, this lockout is too little, too late.
The owners and Stern have put out an extremely aggressive proposal to reign in cost and change how league conducts business. To sum it up:
The owners want to take a far greater percentage of the basketball-related income. They want to pay millions less for maximum deals and shorten contracts. Most of all, they want a hard salary cap and assurances that protect themselves against a diminished economy and, well, themselves. Everything is hurtling toward a 2011 lockout, a negotiation that’ll likely feel far more like a standoff.
And from the agent/player perspective, a great quote that sums up the Knicks fan experience the past few years:
I have so much respect for David Stern, and I know he wants to create the most competitive environment possible for the fans, but the current system is broken,” agent Mark Bartelstein said. “The luxury-tax concept is anti-competitive. We’ve created a system where in the midst of trying to sell tickets in the summer, we have teams admitting to their fans, ‘We’re not trying to win this year. …We’re waiting for 2010 or some year beyond.
Basically, if you remember the 2004 NHL lockout or even the 1998-1999 NBA half-season lockout, you’ve gotta be thinking to yourself, “we’re not going to have a 2011-2012 season.”
Here is my immediate concern for the Knicks: Because the NBA ownership is looking to cut the max length of contracts to 4 years and also looking to cut contracts dollars by around 30 percent, will max guys like Lebron, Wade and Bosh have even greater incentive to go where they can get the most money and most years right now? Or, in other words, do these guys STAY with their teams because their current teams have the added advantage of being able to offer an extra year and a 15% premium over any other suitor? In light of one year’s lost salary and possibly reduced future salaries, I think so.
All of which means the Knicks may go bust this summer. While teams are crying that the current labor agreement is financially unsustainable (not sure how much I believe it), most of those same teams have already locked in their stars and assets beyond the 2011 season. Clearly, they are trying to stay competitive, but chances are they’re paying now knowing that a 2011 lockout will probably cut salaries and do a lot to make team ownership profitable again. Meanwhile, Donnie has been trying to turn team Titanic around, shedding the team of all its assets for the opportunity to land Lebron and a friend. IF Donnie comes up empty in free-agency this summer, not only will the past 2 years of being a Knicks fan become completely pointless, the future may be even worse.
Or would it? Realistically, the Knicks may be perfectly positioned for a true rebuilding effort in 2012 since the team won’t be saddled with any long-term salaries (Lebron and friend possibly aside). The Knicks may actually be able to truly start from scratch with a boat load of unfulfilled cap space, a promising top 5 2011 draft pick, and young studs Danilo Gallinari and Wilson Chandler. Can you guys wait another 2 years?
Personally, I’m looking forward to a lockout for two reasons. First, the league absolutely has to abolish the salary-matching aspect of trades. This aspect of trading alone has made rebuilding the Knicks nearly impossible. Teams should be able to conduct business and trades as they see fit (ie. If they want to salary dump, fine. If they want to take on salary, fine.) If a hard salary cap is implemented, there really would be no need to keep matching salaries as part of trades. Additionally, teams have to have the right to cut players (NFL style) and not have it count against the salary cap. It’s already ridiculous enough that the Knicks have to pay Eddy Curry for what amounts to gross job negligence. What’s crazier is that if we cut him his salary still counts against our salary cap. This can’t happen in the future NBA.
Finally, what will the players do in the meantime? During the 2004 NHL lockout, players signed to leagues around the globe, many back in their home countries. Some, like Czech Jaromir Jagr, went on to play in Omsk, Russia off in Siberia. Do the international leagues inevitably pickup the NBA’s players. If you’re Danilo Gallinari, do you sign on with an Italian team for the year?
Lots of questions. Thoughts?
