Big money, the NBA, and the little guys
The NBA off-season is only a few weeks old, and the makeup of the league has shifted dramatically. Kevin Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, Tim Duncan retired, and a lot of key players have changed teams. Players such as Harrison Barnes, Mike Conley, Timofey Mozgov, and Chandler Parsons received lucrative that shocked fans around the league and envious NFL players. This shouldn’t have come as much of a surprise as the league signed a nine year, $24 billion television contract with ESPN and Turner Sports in 2014 and the NBA Players’ Association rejected a cap smoothing proposal that would have prevented the dramatic salary cap increase we have witnessed this summer. All of the money flowing in has led to some discussion about an underutilized and sometimes under-discussed part of the pro game.
Since its inception in 2001, the Developmental League grown to become a place where under the radar players can impress scouts, draft picks can get playing time and repetitions when the main club has no room for them, and a place where former players can begin their comebacks. The D-League provides a variety of benefits for NBA teams. From Netsdaily:
Changes in D-League rules give NBA teams a lot more latitude in using their minor league clubs. The last four players cut by an NBA team with an owned-and-operated team or hybrid affiliate gets to send them to their D-League team. (NBA teams can still call them up.) Second-round picks can be signed to a D-League deal without the parent club losing its NBA rights … and without the pick taking up a roster spot on the NBA team. And of course, roster players sent down remain the property of the parent club. They can’t be poached.
With the billions going to owners in the NBA, it’s created a discussion on how much developmental players get paid. The salary structure is divided into three tiers, with individual player salaries topping out at $25,000. The team salary cap is around $170,000. Commissioner Adam Silver has mentioned that he would raise the average salary of D-League players in exchange for a tougher age limit. The proposed new limit would require players to be two years removed from high school instead of one. This sounds nice in theory until you realize that eight of the 30 NBA teams do not own their affiliates and it’s unlikely Players’ Association Executive Director Michele Roberts and the union will agree to it in collective bargaining negotiations.
At the New York Times, Harvey Araton discussed the money coming into the league with various officials affiliated with the NBA. One quote that stood out came from former agent Arn Tellem, who said:
The time is right to develop a legitimate minor league that protects younger players, nurtures and cultivates future stars, and works in the N.B.A.’s best interests.
For the owners, paying D-Leaguers more will have great short and long term benefits. For the short term, raising salaries will help attract better players who may have either decided to attend college or went abroad to play basketball. Bringing these players in and having them contribute will boost attendance for D-League games and provide more revenue for the organization. Also, having good players like that can prove beneficial when the big club needs players to fill in when injuries happen to your superstars. Thinking long term, if your organization shows itself to be a place where players can develop their skills and get enough minutes to possibly impress NBA personnel, it will serve as a great recruiting tool that will attract good players to your team. Good players bring in revenue and fan interest, and providing them with fair pay and opportunities for growth will serve everyone’s interests.
The D-League has shown itself capable of producing regular NBA contributors. 2015 D-League All Star Seth Curry parlayed his time playing for the Erie Bayhawks into a contract with the Sacramento Kings and eventually, a two year deal with the Dallas Mavericks. Sean Kilpatrick was the D-League’s leading scorer when he signed a ten day contract with the Brooklyn Nets in February. He impressed the team during those early days and signed a guaranteed, two year contract in March. And it was the place where former first round bust Gerald Green reestablished himself in the United States before signing a multiple year deal with the Indiana Pacers.
With the large contracts being handed out and the discussions of possibly of ending max contracts, it’s easy to forget the smaller players that make up the backbone of the league. Guys like Curry, Green, Kilpatrick and countless others will likely never be the faces of their franchises, but are valuable pieces that can contribute and serve as fan favorites. When the collective bargaining agreement negotiations open up in the near future, leaders of the players’ union (President Chris Paul, First Vice president LeBron James, and Vice Presidents such as Stephen Curry and Carmelo Anthony) should remember guys like them and fight to increase their share of the pie. The players are more united than they have been in years, and by extending their reach and influence to the minor league, they will be providing current and future players the best opportunity to become better players and make enough money so that they can take care of themselves and the people that are important in their lives.
Originally published at thebsideofthings.tumblr.com.
