It’s time for a semi-radical overhaul of the National Basketball Association. There are a lot of problems, which we all can see are going on right now in real time. Billy King and The David cannot get along and come to an agreement over many things. The NBPA wants the moon, and the NBA see this as absolutely, 100% unfeasible (a platform which I agree with). The players currently receive 57% of basketball generated revenue (which includes literally every piece of revenue the league takes in, from jerseys to concessions to tickets), which means that the league is LOSING money every year, retaining only 43% of the money (which is spread out to employees league-wide). I will now fill you with my ideas of how the NBA can be changed to end up making money, rather than losing it.
1) Shorten Max Contracts, Lower Maximum Salaries
This is a step to ensure that an NBA team offering the likes of a Zach Randolph (pre-2010-11 season), Erick Dampier, or Eddy Curry a MASSIVE contract that is only outnumbered by their weight gain after signing on the dotted line. Paying anyone of those guys an obscene amount of money and constantly being over the cap can financially cripple a franchise to the point of a beloved (or even “liked”) owner selling. Or just a gigantic pile of disgusting contracts (a la the 1999-2010 Knicks) that have no value unless someone is trying to clear cap room for “Impact Free Agent X” for the next season.
2) Split the Basketball-related Revenue 50/50
It makes sense if you really think about it. The NFL makes 52% of football revenue, while the players garner a PALTRY 48%. That league made NINE BILLION dollars last season, which made their lockout look like two rich kids fist-fighting over the last Range Rover at the local dealership. I just cannot comprehend why this makes no sense to the players. Those guys who clean up the towels behind the bench and hand out the water need to get paid too.
3) Take over Multiple Franchises and put them up for Re-Sale
Exhibit A: Joel and Gavin Maloof
The Maloofs are broke. They are useless NBA owners at this point. They spend the bare-minimum on talent every season (relatively speaking; their payroll last year was a right around $29 million), and are forcing a move from Sacramento to Anaheim or making the bankrupt state pay for 100% of a new arena. Why not force a sale? It only makes sense for the betterment of the league. There have got to be owners itching to put their brand on a franchise (a la Mark Cuban, one of the greatest owners in sports).
Exhibit B: Donald Sterling
He is a detriment to his own cause. That Clippers team could thrive in the NBA, and create a fantastic rivalry with the Lakers … just not under Sterling. They already have the biggest young star in their front court (Blake Griffin), along with an emerging star guard (Eric Gordon), quality young role players/possible stars (Al-Farooq Aminu; Eric Bledsoe), and an future great in the post (DeAndre Jordan, who is a Restricted Free Agent). There is a cash cow waiting in the other end of the Staples Center, and it needs to be tapped sooner rather than later.
4) Merge Four Struggling Franchises
There can be some “contraction” that could be good for the league. The talent pool is rather watered down, and there are basketball hot beds that are an untapped source of basketball revenue. Let us dive right in with teams that could be merged…
a) Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats have been struggling to make money since their inception, and I do not see that turning around any time soon due to the lack of “star-power” that anyone other than Michael Jordan brings to that organization. Normally I would be satisfied with that statement, but Jordan has been retired since 2003 and is not walking onto the hardwood any time soon to play with the Bobcats. At 21st in the league in attendance at just under 16,000 fans per game, plus their short, unheralded history, makes the Bobcats a prime candidate for merger.
b) New Orleans Hornets
The Hornets are owned by the league, and there is no buyer in sight. They average 14,709 fans per game, which is good for 26th in the league, which is not good at all. They left Charlotte in 2002 due to dwindling attendance, and I can easily see them relocating to another city without much hullabaloo amongst their fan base.
c) Memphis Grizzlies
Yes, the Grizz were a surprise team last year, advancing to the second round as the eighth-seed after upsetting the Spurs. Yes, they gave the Thunder all they had before succumbing to the Durantula in seven games. Yes, they are ranked 27th in the league in attendance, which is not much better than they were in Vancouver, and they jumped from that sinking ship in 2001.
d) Sacramento Kings
This team has some pieces that can be put together with the right coach, right general manager, and right ownership group. Tyreke Evans could be a big star, albeit the fact that he is a ballhog. DeMarcus Cousins is one of the emerging star centers in the NBA, albeit the fact that he is a headcase. John Salmons is a good veteran point guard that can help distribute to both. Jimmer Fredette can come in and provide a JJ Redick-like deep threat off of the bench. Isaiah Thomas can provide a nice compliment to Jimmer off the bench to keep the defenses honest. At 29th in the league in attendance, drawing just under 14,000 fans to games, this franchise is in trouble and a change of scenery, or if former Phoenix Suns point guard and current mayor of Sacramento decides to pony up the dough, a new arena.
e) Toronto Raptors
The lone Canadian outpost of the NBA, this franchise draws the 19th most fans in the NBA at 16,566 per game. Toronto is and has been struggling to win basketball games and draw a fan base since the departure of Vince Carter (and to a lesser extent, Chris Bosh), and could be primed to leave. With Canada being a hockey country, the Raptors and Blue Jays both struggle to garner asses in the seats. We’re focusing on basketball here, so I will leave the thoughts on the Jays to Norton.
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I feel that those five franchises are the most likely to be moved or merged, and doing so could benefit the owners and the league.
My Recommendation
Move the Hornets to Seattle
There was no reason that the Emerald City should’ve lost the Sonics in the first place. Finding an owner and moving them to Seattle would be a chance at a fresh start. Couple that with the construction of a new arena – or at least improvements to the existing Key Arena to bridge the gap – would make the deal complete.
Merge the Raptors and the Bobcats; Move team to Las Vegas
Two struggling franchises lacking to draw fans with no real stars. Just merge the two teams together and move them to Las Vegas and open an entirely new, awkward fan base. The move to Vegas would give the NBA the appeal and attention that it got from holding the 2007 All-Star Game at the Thomas & Mack Center. The previous decision was regarded as the league stepping into Sin City for the first time, and this could be the team to fill that gap.
Sell the Kings to Henry Samueli and Move them to Anaheim
Yes, this would give the greater Los Angeles-area three NBA franchises. You have to think that Samueli, who seems to give a damn about the Ducks, and wants to bring an NBA franchise to the Honda Center, would actually care about creating a competitive basketball team. All of that is more than the Maloofs can say at this juncture in their ownership.
Move the Grizzlies to Chicago
Yes, this is probably the most radical of the moves that I can put on this list with the teams I have chosen to write about. Think about it. The pair of teams in the Windy City has worked in baseball for over a hundred years now. It would also give the Bulls (an up-and-coming juggernaut) a local rival. They could create a better rivalry than the Clippers and Lakers have (I realize that is odd to say as these teams barely have a rivalry). Moving a second team into this market could drastically help the Grizzlies franchise, which has perennially struggled with attendance numbers dating back to its days in Vancouver.
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Those are my preliminary thoughts on how to change the NBA for the better. Mind you, I do not have a law degree. I have never been in the same state as Billy Hunter (as far as I know), and I do not believe that any of these things could really happen aside from maybe the Kings moving to Anaheim, and possibly moving a team to Seattle. I think the possibility of a team ending up in Vegas has better odds than one might think, but who knows. I am just here to entertain.
@jlang20
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