When the NBA and NBA Players’ Association hold CBA renewal talks, the league plans to consider bringing up buyout reform as part of a broader discussion, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Some team executives have complained about the plethora of veteran players getting buyouts and joining playoff contenders.
Commissioner Adam Silver‘s office doesn’t see it as an issue of fairness between big and small markets, but rather a process that is contradictory to the financial system’s goals. In the league’s view, teams with big payrolls are adding an impact player without a dramatic impact on their luxury tax penalties, since those salaries after clearing waivers are usually prorated minimums.
The NBA would also like to find a way to make players who have been bought out available to more teams than just the contenders.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- Aaron Epps has signed in Israel with Elitzur Eito Ashkelon, sources told Hoops Rumors’ JD Shaw (Twitter link). Epps holds G League experience with the Northern Arizona Suns and Canton Charge, most recently playing with Canton in the bubble.
- Veteran NBA swingman Lance Stephenson is hopeful of playing in the league again, David Aldridge of The Athletic tweets. He has been working out in New York for the last few weeks, in case a suitor comes calling. The 30-year-old last played in the NBA with the Lakers in 2019.
- There’s some speculation around the league that Raptors president of basketball operations Masai Ujiri may eventually wind up in Seattle if the league approves a new franchise, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times. The group heading expansion efforts in Seattle includes longtime sports executive Tim Leiweke, who hired Ujiri as Toronto’s executive vice president and GM in 2013.
- Texas Tech has received permission to interview Bucks assistant Darvin Ham for its head coaching vacancy, Wojnarowski tweets. Ham led the school to the Sweet 16 in 1996 and played in the NBA from ’96 to 2005.
The NBA needs to make buying out players less appealing for teams if they want change. If Griffin and Drummond are going to be considered impact players after being bought out, it seems pretty ridiculous that they were literally not playing for basement dwelling teams pre-buy out.
I would suggest that there needs to be a mechanism where if a guy is highly sought after, there will be surrender of draft pick(s) — or, perhaps team that buys out their player can set draft pick cost for acquiring team. This will also prevent teams that have exhausted their pick chest from acquiring a high level talent via buyout as they won’t have the resources.
Not “literally”… Maybe figuratively… never heard of a team dwelling in a basement.
“Literally” was qualifying “not playing for”, not “basement dwelling.” It’s an overused word, but it was used acceptably in this instance.
baumann, kind of agree, but that seems like an out… “literally” is extraneous to “not playing”, meaning its main purpose is as a random sentence intensifier, instead of being a word with meaning.
He probably rejected “sent home” which sounds like slang but as far as I know is the term for it.
“Literally sent home”… harsh!
If Lance is in real shape. He could come finish his career in NY. Backup guards and and mentor. Bring that tough D n competitiveness to team. End it where it all began lol. Lance is considered greatest HS baller in NYC history. And that’s saying a whole lot. Only 30, wow
Lance will make em dance!
My solution to the buyout market problem. If you are bought out of a contract, then you cannot play for anyone else this season. It kind of works like a “no compete clause.” They can sign with anyone the next offseason regardless of how many years were on their deals, but that just join a contender mid season. It might still end up as team stacking, but it looks a lot less conniving if it happens before the season starts.
And buyouts will always pay the player 100% of their contract. Sometimes teams just want to move on and play younger players and that should be accounted for. But these teams either signed the deals with the vets or received compensation for trading for the deal, so it should be honored in full.
A bigger thing the league needs to crack down on is the sitting healthy players while waiting for another move. Al Horford is a great example. If OKC doesn’t want him, then trade him or fully buy him out / waive him. Otherwise, he should at least be on the court. It is a disservice to Horford for him to sit at home and have his skills rust, especially in a nice comeback year for him.
I like this idea. Another idea is their luxury tax hit for the team signing them is the same as what their salary was for that year.
By definition, buyouts involve giving money back. If bought-out players receive 100% of their contracts, how do you differentiate them from players who are just waived? Would someone like DaQuan Jeffries also be ineligible to join a new team?
The NFL already does this with players entering a waiver pool where teams can put in a bid for that particular player based on record.
Silver is talking about being able to collect more luxury taxes. There is a rationale for that, and money for owners to split… so this could get yes votes. The lack of popularity of recent buyouts makes change votes easier too for some… Drummond, Aldredge, the Morrises, would probably never have been able o get a title as leaders, but have been paid as such. Of course they gave up some of that salary.
It is kind of mean to block the current system though, which is a better interpretation of USA standards. I would keep it until more abused.
Players who are bought out go to contenders. If small market teams become contenders. Griffin and Drummond weren’t playing either is Horford now