After the first week of NBA free agency, it is apparent that the "rich players get richer, great teams become greater and the rest of the league churns in mediocrity," according to Bucky Gleason of the BUFFALO NEWS. More teams "having a chance to win a title would give the NBA greater reach and generate more revenue." The solution to that "could be limiting the number of free agents one team can sign and the total money spent on them." It would "restrict great teams with high payrolls, spread the wealth of talent among all teams, keep more franchises in contention deeper into the season and reward those who drafted well." However, there "isn't enough incentive for players to stay in one place" (BUFFALONEWS.com, 7/9). In Boston, Gary Washburn noted the difference between free agency this summer and last year is the "lack of four-year deals," especially those $70M-plus packages. They were "being handed out in excess last summer and they ended up backfiring on nearly every team that consummated those deals" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/9). ESPN.com's Zach Lowe wrote the "failure of the union and league to agree on a cap-smoothing proposal benefited one group of free agents -- last summer's class -- at the expense of almost everyone else." The NBA is now "back in the old, forgotten cap environment, where room is sparse." Members of the '14 draft class, up for extensions now, "face a barren landscape if they chance it in free agency next summer." Lowe: "Do they settle for extensions below their now-outdated expectations? Do their teams play hard ball, daring them to gamble in a year?" (ESPN.com, 7/7).
BALANCE OF POWER: The GLOBE's Washburn wrote the "disparity between the Western Conference and Eastern Conference is cyclical, and no reason to make drastic moves in terms of conference affiliation." Teams such as 76ers, Bucks, Heat and Magic are "eventually going to rise again" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/9). ESPN's Kate Fagan said of the imbalance of talent in the NBA, "The magnets that certain teams have become, this is going to become an even more difficult problem for the NBA to address. ... It’s going to be a problem when you look at the next CBA and how the owners are going to want to grab back at least some of the power structure" ("OTL," ESPN, 7/7).
THE KING'S COURT: FS1’s Colin Cowherd said of LeBron James, "He is one of the greatest at understanding the game from the ownership down. Dude gets it. He understands the cap, he knows how to move players, LeBron gets the sport" ("Speak for Yourself," FS1, 7/7).
