GLIAC Men's BasketballDec 22, 2015 by Joe Battaglia
NBA Teams Are Set To Pay Up, Big Time, During 2016 Free Agency
NBA Teams Are Set To Pay Up, Big Time, During 2016 Free Agency
With the NBA salary cap expected to balloon to $89 million next year, we look at the players who stand to make the most in free agency.
By Mohamed Mooncey
The European football (soccer) world has come under fire in the past decade due to rich investor purchasing teams and injecting huge sums of cash into buying the top players. This has left many top teams (eg. Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain) a cut above the rest, and has given them an apparent unfair advantage over those franchises who do not have the benefit of wealthy owners or investors.
In an effort to keep a level playing field between teams in the National Basketball Association, the league imposes a cap on the salaries paid to players. This is part of the reason why teams cannot simply buy players outright; such is the case in football. Rather they have to calculate trades that fit under the salary cap or wait to free agency and balance the rest of the roster in order to include new signings under the limit.
The cap is agreed between the NBA players association and the owners of the teams in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. The salary cap is calculated as a percentage of the league’s revenue from the previous season and thus it varies year to year. There are exceptions to exceeding the cap; teams who do are forced to pay a tax as retribution. The cap was first properly introduced in 1984 and was set at $3,600,000 per team. Of course due to inflation it rose over the course of the next 30 years and today (2015/16) it currently sits at $70 million, an 11% increase from last year’s $63,065,000.
This was a rather unusual fluctuation in the salary cap, which only increased by $7,435,000 in the eight seasons prior to 2014/15, however the cap is set to skyrocket once again. In October of last year the League agreed a reportedly $9 billion television deal with ESPN and Turner Sports. This lucrative deal has pushed the salary cap for NBA teams next season (2016/17) to a reported $89 million and then peaking with a league record high of $108 million for the 2017/18 season.
We have already seen some crazy deals in anticipation of the salary cap increasing. During the 2015 offseason certain players were massively overpaid. Tristan Thompson recently agree to a five-year, $82 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a rather steep contract when you factor in that he’s currently averaging 7 points a game and is the back-up to starting power forward Kevin Love. Enes Kanter and Reggie Jackson were amongst other players who received (undeserving) monster deals due to the cap increase, they signed deals for $70 million/four years and $80 million/five years respectively.
The 2016 free agent class is absolutely stacked. Here are some of the players set to make top money:
Age: 27
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Salary This Season: $28,158,622
Season Averages: 27.5ppg 6.9rpg 3.5apg 1.2spg 1.0bpg
There is no denying that Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the league so it’s only right that his next contract is in line to be worth around $200,000,000 over the next 5 years. Much speculation has therefore been made over Kevin Durant’s free agency decision this coming summer. Although the LA Lakers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks have been rumoured to be destinations for the former MVP, there are two solid camps that many believe are the most likely options for KD.
The first option is to stay in Oklahoma. This would be a wise decision as he could continue playing alongside all-star teammate Russell Westbrook for another season, furthermore, the Thunder have the ability to offer 7-7.5% more than any other team, making it a more lucrative option to stay put. The second option that many think is likely is that Durant will return home to Washington where he was born and raised. The Wizards are an attractive option as they currently boast a young core of John Wall and Bradley Beal, potentially setting up Washington to become a dynasty over the coming years. Regardless of his final destination, Kevin Durant is set to make major money.
Age: 30
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary This Season: $22,970,500
Season Averages: 26.4ppg 7.7rpg 6.4apg 1.4spg 0.7bpg
The biggest free agency decision in recent memory belongs to the self titled “King James” who, in the summer of 2010 famously decided to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. Four seasons and two Finals losses later, James decided to return home to Cleveland and sign a $47 million/2-year deal that has a player option after the first season. Although it doesn’t appear that he will be bolting from Cleveland again, the business savvy LeBron purposely structured his contract in this way, in order to enjoy the maximum benefits of the new higher salary cap. There’s no doubt that Lebron will enjoy said benefits as, being the most dominant player in the world, the Cavaliers will give him the biggest contract that they can afford.
Age: 22
Team: Detroit Pistons
Salary This Season: $3,272,091
Season Averages: 17.6ppg 16.4rpg 0.8apg 1.9spg 1.6bpg
With the way he’s played this year it’s hard to believe that Andre Drummond is only 22 and still on his rookie contract. Drummond has been eating the glass so far this season, leading the NBA in rebounds. It is rare to see max money being spent on a player with a limited offensive game such as Drummond, the Pistons haven’t been shy in splashing the cash lately (see the aforementioned Reggie Jackson.) Having said this, Drummond is still young and his game is constantly developing. Solid centres are a dying breed in the modern NBA so putting their money into Andre’s future is an investment worth gambling on for the Detroit Pistons.
Age: 22
Team: Washington Wizards
Salary This Season: $5,694,674
Season Averages: 19.8ppg 4.7rpg 3.2apg 1.1spg 0.4bpg
Bradley Beal turned down a $21 million per year contract extension with the Wizards. This decision was by design by both parties. It allows the Wizards to chase after Kevin Durant and structure both contracts accordingly; it also allows Bradley Beal to use this season to prove he is worth max-level money and sign a five year deal, rather than four. This was the same decision made by the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard, the move paid off for both parties as Leonard received a $90 million contract extension and the team were able to sign all-star forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Whether KD will return to Washington is uncertain but what is certain is that Beal and John Wall are the future of this franchise. Bradley Beal will receive a maximum contract extension this summer.
Age: 26
Team: Miami Heat
Salary This Season: $981,348
Season Averages: 12.3ppg 10.4rpg 0.1apg 0.6spg 4.1bpg
A year ago, Hassan Whiteside was an unknown signing for the Miami Heat who was sent to play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA developmental league. Today, Whiteside is a candidate for defensive player of the year, leading the league in blocked shots per game, almost doubling the average of the next highest shot blocker Anthony Davis. Elite rim protectors are invaluable in the NBA, especially those of Whitesides talent. Despite concerns over his maturity, the 7-foot center has recorded numerous triple-doubles and has a major impact on the defensive end of the floor. In a league abundant with talented guards, a multitude of teams will be chasing Whiteside’s talents, especially seeing as it currently stands the Miami Heat cannot afford to retain him. This puts him on the open market where he will likely sign for the highest bidder whilst the Heat resign Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic. Whiteside is expected to receive around $21,000,000 per year next summer.
The real winners are the free agents of 2017 who will benefit from the biggest increase of the cap so far. The 2017 free agent class should include players such as: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, and Dwight Howard. The NBA is a huge business and so teams are going to have to pay huge prices to obtain the best players possible.
Follow @TheHoopGenius for more NBA news, views and updates.
The European football (soccer) world has come under fire in the past decade due to rich investor purchasing teams and injecting huge sums of cash into buying the top players. This has left many top teams (eg. Manchester City, Chelsea, Paris Saint-Germain) a cut above the rest, and has given them an apparent unfair advantage over those franchises who do not have the benefit of wealthy owners or investors.
In an effort to keep a level playing field between teams in the National Basketball Association, the league imposes a cap on the salaries paid to players. This is part of the reason why teams cannot simply buy players outright; such is the case in football. Rather they have to calculate trades that fit under the salary cap or wait to free agency and balance the rest of the roster in order to include new signings under the limit.
The cap is agreed between the NBA players association and the owners of the teams in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. The salary cap is calculated as a percentage of the league’s revenue from the previous season and thus it varies year to year. There are exceptions to exceeding the cap; teams who do are forced to pay a tax as retribution. The cap was first properly introduced in 1984 and was set at $3,600,000 per team. Of course due to inflation it rose over the course of the next 30 years and today (2015/16) it currently sits at $70 million, an 11% increase from last year’s $63,065,000.
This was a rather unusual fluctuation in the salary cap, which only increased by $7,435,000 in the eight seasons prior to 2014/15, however the cap is set to skyrocket once again. In October of last year the League agreed a reportedly $9 billion television deal with ESPN and Turner Sports. This lucrative deal has pushed the salary cap for NBA teams next season (2016/17) to a reported $89 million and then peaking with a league record high of $108 million for the 2017/18 season.
We have already seen some crazy deals in anticipation of the salary cap increasing. During the 2015 offseason certain players were massively overpaid. Tristan Thompson recently agree to a five-year, $82 million deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a rather steep contract when you factor in that he’s currently averaging 7 points a game and is the back-up to starting power forward Kevin Love. Enes Kanter and Reggie Jackson were amongst other players who received (undeserving) monster deals due to the cap increase, they signed deals for $70 million/four years and $80 million/five years respectively.
The 2016 free agent class is absolutely stacked. Here are some of the players set to make top money:
Kevin Durant
Age: 27
Team: Oklahoma City Thunder
Salary This Season: $28,158,622
Season Averages: 27.5ppg 6.9rpg 3.5apg 1.2spg 1.0bpg
There is no denying that Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the league so it’s only right that his next contract is in line to be worth around $200,000,000 over the next 5 years. Much speculation has therefore been made over Kevin Durant’s free agency decision this coming summer. Although the LA Lakers, Miami Heat and New York Knicks have been rumoured to be destinations for the former MVP, there are two solid camps that many believe are the most likely options for KD.
The first option is to stay in Oklahoma. This would be a wise decision as he could continue playing alongside all-star teammate Russell Westbrook for another season, furthermore, the Thunder have the ability to offer 7-7.5% more than any other team, making it a more lucrative option to stay put. The second option that many think is likely is that Durant will return home to Washington where he was born and raised. The Wizards are an attractive option as they currently boast a young core of John Wall and Bradley Beal, potentially setting up Washington to become a dynasty over the coming years. Regardless of his final destination, Kevin Durant is set to make major money.
LeBron James
Age: 30
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Salary This Season: $22,970,500
Season Averages: 26.4ppg 7.7rpg 6.4apg 1.4spg 0.7bpg
The biggest free agency decision in recent memory belongs to the self titled “King James” who, in the summer of 2010 famously decided to take his talents to South Beach and join the Miami Heat. Four seasons and two Finals losses later, James decided to return home to Cleveland and sign a $47 million/2-year deal that has a player option after the first season. Although it doesn’t appear that he will be bolting from Cleveland again, the business savvy LeBron purposely structured his contract in this way, in order to enjoy the maximum benefits of the new higher salary cap. There’s no doubt that Lebron will enjoy said benefits as, being the most dominant player in the world, the Cavaliers will give him the biggest contract that they can afford.
Andre Drummond
Age: 22
Team: Detroit Pistons
Salary This Season: $3,272,091
Season Averages: 17.6ppg 16.4rpg 0.8apg 1.9spg 1.6bpg
With the way he’s played this year it’s hard to believe that Andre Drummond is only 22 and still on his rookie contract. Drummond has been eating the glass so far this season, leading the NBA in rebounds. It is rare to see max money being spent on a player with a limited offensive game such as Drummond, the Pistons haven’t been shy in splashing the cash lately (see the aforementioned Reggie Jackson.) Having said this, Drummond is still young and his game is constantly developing. Solid centres are a dying breed in the modern NBA so putting their money into Andre’s future is an investment worth gambling on for the Detroit Pistons.
Bradley Beal
Age: 22
Team: Washington Wizards
Salary This Season: $5,694,674
Season Averages: 19.8ppg 4.7rpg 3.2apg 1.1spg 0.4bpg
Bradley Beal turned down a $21 million per year contract extension with the Wizards. This decision was by design by both parties. It allows the Wizards to chase after Kevin Durant and structure both contracts accordingly; it also allows Bradley Beal to use this season to prove he is worth max-level money and sign a five year deal, rather than four. This was the same decision made by the San Antonio Spurs and Kawhi Leonard, the move paid off for both parties as Leonard received a $90 million contract extension and the team were able to sign all-star forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Whether KD will return to Washington is uncertain but what is certain is that Beal and John Wall are the future of this franchise. Bradley Beal will receive a maximum contract extension this summer.
Hassan Whiteside
Age: 26
Team: Miami Heat
Salary This Season: $981,348
Season Averages: 12.3ppg 10.4rpg 0.1apg 0.6spg 4.1bpg
A year ago, Hassan Whiteside was an unknown signing for the Miami Heat who was sent to play for the Sioux Falls Skyforce in the NBA developmental league. Today, Whiteside is a candidate for defensive player of the year, leading the league in blocked shots per game, almost doubling the average of the next highest shot blocker Anthony Davis. Elite rim protectors are invaluable in the NBA, especially those of Whitesides talent. Despite concerns over his maturity, the 7-foot center has recorded numerous triple-doubles and has a major impact on the defensive end of the floor. In a league abundant with talented guards, a multitude of teams will be chasing Whiteside’s talents, especially seeing as it currently stands the Miami Heat cannot afford to retain him. This puts him on the open market where he will likely sign for the highest bidder whilst the Heat resign Dwyane Wade and Goran Dragic. Whiteside is expected to receive around $21,000,000 per year next summer.
The real winners are the free agents of 2017 who will benefit from the biggest increase of the cap so far. The 2017 free agent class should include players such as: Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook, Blake Griffin, and Dwight Howard. The NBA is a huge business and so teams are going to have to pay huge prices to obtain the best players possible.
Follow @TheHoopGenius for more NBA news, views and updates.