After last year's influx of highly-paid foreign players in the Chinese Basketball Association, the league "might get a similar salary cap" to that of the NBA's, according to Sun Xiaochen of the CHINA DAILY. Beijing Ducks GM Yuan Chao said, "If we can have a salary restriction in the new season, it will be good for the club's revenue. But we can't rush it and just simply copy the NBA model. We are two totally different leagues." A league official said that a "rough prototype is being discussed" among club owners and a select group of experts, lawyers and analysts. CBA Competition Department Dir Bai Xilin said, "We've been talking about how to make it happen recently, and there is no timeline yet. We will keep the media posted when we work out something practical" (CHINA DAILY, 9/5).
SECOND CHANCE: REUTERS' Alastair Himmer noted that in '09, monthly pay for foreign players was capped at $60,000 and $44,000 for Chinese players, with the exception of national team members. However, "a lack of supervision over implementing the rules and subsequent penalties for those dodging the guidelines doomed the CBA's first attempt at a cap." The Xinjiang Flying Tigers and Zhejiang Golden Bulls paid millions of dollars for NBA players such as Kenyon Martin and J.R. Smith respectively in last year's off season. The deals "ended in losses for both clubs, financially and on the court." Bai said that the salary cap was proposed by four owners during a meeting last week "and welcomed by others." Yuan said, "We can't let the rich clubs gather all the good players and make it a negative circle. That's no supposed to happen in a mature, healthy league." Smaller clubs have felt forced to "dig deep to sign foreign players in order to compete" against other CBA teams "and say enough is enough." Bai: "Clubs are the foundation of our league. We have to make sure each of them develops in a healthy fiscal condition" (REUTERS, 9/6).
