NBA, players reach tentative deal

[Dback Jon]

NEW YORK - After nearly two years of bickering, NBA players and owners are back on the same side.

"We want to play basketball," Commissioner David Stern said.

Come Christmas Day, they should be.

The sides reached a tentative agreement early Saturday to end the 149-day lockout and hope to begin the delayed season with a marquee tripleheader Dec. 25. Most of a season that seemed in jeopardy of being lost entirely will be salvaged if both sides approve the handshake deal.

Barring a change in scheduling, the 2011-12 season will open with the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, followed by Miami at Dallas in an NBA finals rematch before MVP Derrick Rose and Chicago visiting Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-400_162-57331450/nba-players-reach-tentative-deal/

 

[Mainstreet]

This is awesome news. I am so ready for some NBA basketball. I believe the involvement of Jim Quinn, a former NBPA counsel, may have helped get this deal done.

Another link:

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/sun...hoenix-suns-nba-owners-players-agreement.html

 

[AsUdUdE]

We will see how this goes.. Hopefully the Suns have aplan to move forward.. Early details from the new proposal say there will be no hard cap, instead a little harsher luxary tax for teams over the cap, also sign-and-trades will be back the way it was 5 years ago...

Don't know if this helps the Suns or not, was really wanting a hard cap to help make the Suns relevant again, I'll wait to hear the new details before judgement, but the owners only need a majoriety to pass, and I can guarentee Sarver will not vote for it...

Maybe he will be more willing to sell!!!!!

 

[Folster]

Sounds like the luxury tax will be even more punitive to the point of tripling or even quadrupling every dollar over the tax figure. For example, a $5 million MLE for a team above the L-tax could cost 15-20 million with taxes. Kurt Thomas' 8 million would have cost Sarver $24-32 million. I think it's safe to say the Suns will never exceed the L-tax now and there is no reason to ever discuss the possibility.

I wonder how this affects teams that are already over the cap like Dallas and LA. I can't imagine the added penalty will be enforced right away unless another Alan Houston waiver exception is allowed. This could make things interesting if these teams are forced to cut a big salary.

I'm happy to see the NBA gear up again. Free agency should be a wild event much like the NFL this summer. Hopefully the Suns do the right thing and trade Nash and take their lumps for the shortened season. We won't get much back in player value for Nash, but the real value will come in how horrible we will be. Without Nash and Hill, this team is guaranteed a top 3 pick in the 2012 draft.

 

[Griffin]

and I can guarentee Sarver will not vote for it...

Actually it's been reported a few days ago that the Suns were one of few teams really pushing for a deal to get done.

I think it's safe to say the Suns will never exceed the L-tax now and there is no reason to ever discuss the possibility.

I think very few teams will exceed LT, which made the whole disagreement over restrictions for LT teams rather moot. A number of teams may slightly go over the LT in any given season, but they won't stay there long.

I wonder how this affects teams that are already over the cap like Dallas and LA. I can't imagine the added penalty will be enforced right away unless another Alan Houston waiver exception is allowed. This could make things interesting if these teams are forced to cut a big salary.

Many of the new rules like the higher tax will be phased in, so it won't affect those teams right away. They'll have several seasons to reduce payroll. But there will be an amnesty rule regardless.

 

[mjb21aztd]

lmao watch this is the year lebron wins the title

 

[Lorenzo]

lmao watch this is the year lebron wins the title

unfortunately for lebron it was the first quarter that was cancelled...not the last quarter.

 

[asudevil83]

-Luxury Tax will remain the same in years 1 & 2, with the tax increasing in year 3 as follows:
$0M-$5M over the Tax Level = $1.50 for $1
$5M-$10M over the Tax Level - $1.75 for $1
$10M-$15M over the Tax Level - $2.50 for $1
$15M-$20M over the Tax Level - $3.25 for $1
Tax rates increase by $0.50 for each additional $5M above the Tax level.
Tax rates for teams that are taxpayers in at least 4 out of any 5 seasons (starting in 2011-12) increase by $1 at each increment.

-Full MLE - Teams above the salary cap and no more than $4M over the luxury tax (including MLE) will be able to offer four-year mid-level exception contracts to free agents each season. Additionally, teams that use MLE are not permitted to sign free agents (except via the Vet Min) if total team salaries will exceed $4M of Luxury Tax.

Mini MLE - Teams that at any point exceed the Luxury Tax by $4M can not use the Full MLE, but will be allowed a "Mini MLE" worth $3M and up to 3 years in length.

-Bi-Annual exception can only be used by non-taxpayers.

- Sign & Trades are not permitted for teams whose salaries exceed the Luxury Tax by $4M or if the result of said transaction causes team salaries to exceed $4M of the Luxury Tax.

 

[Bert]

unfortunately for lebron it was the first quarter that was cancelled...not the last quarter.

I actually think the team that benefits the most from a short season is probably the Spurs. They were the best team in the regular season but clearly just ran out of gas during the playoffs. Doesn't mean they are gonna win anything, but it will definitely help their old guys to play no presason and 20 less games. Will probably be good for Dirk and the older Mavs as well.

 

[D-Dogg]

I actually think the team that benefits the most from a short season is probably the Spurs. They were the best team in the regular season but clearly just ran out of gas during the playoffs. Doesn't mean they are gonna win anything, but it will definitely help their old guys to play no presason and 20 less games. Will probably be good for Dirk and the older Mavs as well.

I'm happy as a Laker fan as well - kobe's old legs and Pau was out of gas since mid-season.

 

[ASUCHRIS]

I'm happy as a Laker fan as well - kobe's old legs and Pau was out of gas since mid-season.

If anything, this new schedule will be far worse for older/injury prone teams. With 66 games crammed into a shorter time period, it will be just brutal, back to backs all the time, etc.

 

[D-Dogg]

If anything, this new schedule will be far worse for older/injury prone teams. With 66 games crammed into a shorter time period, it will be just brutal, back to backs all the time, etc.

They are extending the reg season and contracting the playoffs to be one game on one day off...so back to backs won't be a regular season issue.

AFAIK, at least.

 

[O]

I'm happy for the bars,restaurants, and small businesses that surround the arenas across the country.

The players and owners, not so much!

 

[boisesuns]

I'm happy for the bars,restaurants, and small businesses that surround the arenas across the country.

The players and owners, not so much!

 

[Mainstreet]

Paul Coro in an article dated 11-26-11 at azcentral did a nice summary of some issues concerning the Suns. See link below.

Brooks' timing concerning the CBA was untimely but Gortat waited just long enough to be available to the Suns. However, a small tidbit caught my eye.

Negotiations with free agents will likely begin at least a week before the Dec. 9 signing window opens but will be strange given that the rules will not be fully known until a new CBA is ratified in 10 days or so.

Wow. Things could start happening quick with free agents. There should be a lot to talk about soon.

http://www.azcentral.com/members/Blog/PaulCoro/149484

 

[DiamondBacks5117]

nbas my favorite sport to watch so happy its back!

 

[Lorenzo]

I actually think the team that benefits the most from a short season is probably the Spurs. They were the best team in the regular season but clearly just ran out of gas during the playoffs. Doesn't mean they are gonna win anything, but it will definitely help their old guys to play no presason and 20 less games. Will probably be good for Dirk and the older Mavs as well.

yes it does benefit all the old veteran teams. even playing field come playoffs like always! dallas has to resign chandler and try their best to sign barea and butler....but I doubt they can sign 2 out of those 3. I would not be surprised to see them make a trade soon.

 

[slinslin]

the short season is a mirage... They play almost 20 additional games in the last 4 months of the season so there will be a lot less downtime and time for rest..

veteran teams certainly do not benefit from this "short" season..

 

[Lorenzo]

the short season is a mirage... They play almost 20 additional games in the last 4 months of the season so there will be a lot less downtime and time for rest..

veteran teams certainly do not benefit from this "short" season..

great point....i guess it just depends on the team. I did not realize this until I read the reports today. so the deep teams will have an advantage. a team like the miami heat, spurs, lakers, celtics, etc that depends on 3 guys to score all of their points will suffer more than teams that can get bench scoring. If dallas can somehow sign barea, butler, and chandler they will be ok. I don't think they can sign all 3. if they sign chandler they will take themselves out of the free agent market for a few years and will be hurting when dirk is beyond his prime. I think they need to make a trade very soon.

this schedule favors teams like OKC(a lot of depth and a lot of youth). or even the mavs when you factor their balance and bench scoring over the last few years.

 

[Griffin]

Some more details about the upcoming season are emerging:

• Season will run from December 25 to April 26
• 48 of the 66 games will be against teams in own conference
• Each team will play back-to-back-to-back at least once and no more than three times

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7287323/nba-season-run-dec-25-april-26-source-says

With the Eastern conference generally weaker than the Western conference (although not by as much as it used to be), there won't be as many easy games for Western teams. Some teams from different conferences will never play each other.

I wonder what the Suns schedule will look like. Will they avoid playing teams like Miami, Boston and Chicago, or will they instead miss out on Cleveland, Toronto or Washington. If they do have to play some of the elite Eastern teams, will it be at home or on the road? Will they luck out and only have one back-to-back-to-back set, or will they play all three? In this particular season, the schedule will make a lot of difference.

 

[Mainstreet]

Some more details about the upcoming season are emerging:

• Season will run from December 25 to April 26
• 48 of the 66 games will be against teams in own conference
  [*]Each team will play back-to-back-to-back at least once and no more than three times

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/7287323/nba-season-run-dec-25-april-26-source-says

With the Eastern conference generally weaker than the Western conference (although not by as much as it used to be), there won't be as many easy games for Western teams. Some teams from different conferences will never play each other.

I wonder what the Suns schedule will look like. Will they avoid playing teams like Miami, Boston and Chicago, or will they instead miss out on Cleveland, Toronto or Washington. If they do have to play some of the elite Eastern teams, will it be at home or on the road? Will they luck out and only have one back-to-back-to-back set, or will they play all three? In this particular season, the schedule will make a lot of difference.

I think playing any back-to-back-to back games is a sorry situation. It will make teams put even more thought into which players they are going to play on a given night. IMO, most teams involved in such a situation will (out of necessity) plan which one of the three contests they are most willing to concede.

 

[elindholm]

• Each team will play back-to-back-to-back at least once and no more than three times

Translation: The Suns will play three in a row three times, and the Lakers will do it only once. Mark it down.

 

[Griffin]

Translation: The Suns will play three in a row three times, and the Lakers will do it only once. Mark it down.

Or when the Suns are on the last night of three in a row, they'll end up playing the Lakers on the road after they've had two days of rest.

 

[dodie53]

thank you
thank you

 

[Cheesebeef]

Translation: The Suns will play three in a row three times, and the Lakers will do it only once. Mark it down.

lol... this was my exact thought when i read this.