NBA teams during the first 96 hours of free agency committed about $3B toward contracts "that can start becoming finalized later this week," and the "unexpected has reigned so far," according to Tim Reynolds of the AP. Thunder GM Sam Presti said, "The NBA and other businesses, they're not created equally." The NBA's new $24B television contract "sparked a jump in the salary cap" from $70M last season to just over $94.1M for the coming year. That "enormous increase created a market that was unpredictable to say the least." Presti, whose team saw F Kevin Durant leave after nine years to join the Warriors in a two-year, $54.3M deal, said, "Given the spike in the cap and given the amount of money that's in the system, free agency is going to move faster this year." Reynolds notes Durant's departure for the Warriors has been the "major development so far, and it's tough to see anything topping that one" (AP, 7/5).
THE RICH GET RICHER: USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt notes Durant’s decision "to leave small-market Oklahoma City for big-market Golden State" does not sit well "with the rest of the league." The '11 lockout in part "sought to create better opportunities for small-market teams to compete." The NBA "instituted tougher restrictions" in the CBA, including "harsher financial penalties for team spending above the luxury tax line." But the "influx of TV money gave teams that otherwise would not have had the financial flexibility to add a maximum-salary player the freedom to do just that." Presti "can’t be happy about the league’s inability to prevent a move like this from happening" (USA TODAY, 7/5). In Chicago, K.C. Johnson notes the NBA's balance of power yesterday "shifted again in ways unforeseen when the last lockout ended five years ago." The "massive new TV contracts and the players association's decision not to 'smooth' the huge influx of money trumped the CBA" (CHICAGO TRIBUNE, 7/5). In Oklahoma City, Jenni Carlson notes instead of "smoothing in the boat load of TV money that’s about to hit," it was given to teams "in one lump sum." Without that, the Warriors "simply couldn’t have gone after Durant" (OKLAHOMAN, 7/5). FS1's Colin Cowherd said, "In the long-term for the NBA, I’m not sure if this is good. I think fans are questioning the competitive balance. I think they are questioning the system that allows this” ("Speak For Yourself," FS1, 7/4). In Charlotte, Rick Bonnell writes Durant's move "felt seismic" and fans of small-market teams "can't see this as a positive development" (CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, 7/5).
FUNNY MONEY: In Philadelphia, Bob Ford notes the NBA is seeing the "chaos of a gold rush across the land." Teams have "wads of newfound money, and it is burning holes in their pockets" (PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 7/5). The N.Y. Daily News' Mike Lupica said, "There's no greater tragedy in the mind of an owner or an executive in sports to have all this money to spend and have no one on which to spend it, so that is why you are seeing these" (“The Sports Reporters,” ESPN, 7/3). In Boston, Ron Borges wrote money "was falling off the back of trucks when NBA free agency opened and has showed little sign of abating even though not a one of these guys is worth the money." There is unlikely to be any "fallout from all this," as the cap next season "is expected to climb" to an estimated $107M (BOSTON HERALD, 7/4).
WHO ARE THESE GUYS? In Buffalo, Bucky Gleason noted C Bismack Biyombo signed a four-year, $72M deal with the Magic after he "started 22 games and averaged 5.5 points and eight rebounds (both career highs)" last season with the Raptors. New Lakers C Timofey Mozgov signed a four-year, $64M deal after averaging 6.3 points and 4.4 rebounds, while Joakim Noah got a four-year, $72M deal from the Knicks after averaging 4.3 points and 8.8 rebounds per game with the Bulls. Darrell Arthur (Nuggets), D.J. Augustin (Magic), E'Twaun Moore (Pelicans) and Matthew Dellavedova (Bucks) "are part of an 8-7 club -- players who averaged fewer than eight points per game last season but will earn more" than $7M per season for at least the next three years (BUFFALO NEWS, 7/4). ESPN's Mike Greenberg: "You don’t think that the amounts of money that got paid last week to NBA players who have never been difference-makers and never will be in their lives looks ridiculous?" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 7/5).
SPEND IT WHILE YOU GOT IT: In Minneapolis, Michael Rand writes with more people dropping cable and satellite TV subscriptions -- "it’s not hard to imagine a much different landscape when major long-term league TV contracts are up for renewal the next time." If "that money fades, the salary cap will go down." Rand: "So for now, everyone is cashing in" (Minneapolis STAR TRIBUNE, 7/5).
