What we are "learning this summer, and there were indications the past few summers, is that market size and location matter less and less to premium free agents" in the NBA, while winning, and the "lure and mystery of the unknown matter more," according to Gary Washburn of the BOSTON GLOBE. Players are "leaving comfortable situations for perceived better ones" and "leaving money on the table for fresh opportunities, despite the possibility that those promises made over dinners at five-star restaurants over wine may never be met." Washburn: "It’s the presentation" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/5). In Las Vegas, Ed Graney writes players "want to win." The lure of a big city "isn’t enough anymore, because players have figured out they can have a fancy spread in Malibu or Manhattan in the offseason while competing rather than watching once the playoffs commence" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/4).
KNICKED UP: GRANTLAND's Andrew Sharp wrote the reality for the Knicks and Lakers is that the "mystique is real and powerful, but it only matters when there’s actual basketball to sell, too." That second part "has always been true." Their appeal "will always get them an audience with everyone." If they can ever "build a basketball foundation to sell alongside it, getting superstars won’t be far behind," because if the money is equal, superstars "will always choose the best basketball situation" (GRANTLAND.com, 7/2). ESPN N.Y.'s Ian Begley wrote if anything "can be gleaned after the first few days of free agency, it’s this: The lure of playing in New York -- or in any other big market -- is no longer enough to attract elite talent." Other factors that "used to give big markets like New York an advantage in free agency no longer exist." Money generally "doesn’t tip the scales in favor of teams like the Knicks anymore," as the CBA has "evened the financial playing field for free agents." Marketing "is no longer an advantage for big cities like New York." Begley: "Ask Kevin Durant if he needs to be in a big market to gain lucrative marketing opportunities" (ESPNNY.com, 7/5). In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote under the header, "Phil Jackson's Failure To Get Greg Monroe Embodies State Of Knicks And Current NBA." This was "more about the Knicks, and what they’ve become, the old mythology about the mecca of basketball colliding with the reality of James Dolan’s Garden over the past decade-and a half, and what a joke it’s become." This is a "systemic failure, the reality of what the Knicks have become since Dolan became the big basketball boss of the Garden" after the '01 season (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/5). Meanwhile, the WALL STREET JOURNAL's Jeremy Gordon wrote the Lakers this off-season "have whiffed on every major free agent they've targeted." In the 21st century, it is "no longer impressive to play in Los Angeles under the bright lights -- with the internet, everywhere can be its own Los Angeles with the right massaging" (WSJ.com, 7/6).
SILVER LINING: GRANTLAND's Sharp wrote NBA Commissioner Adam Silver during the '11 lockout was "pushing for shorter contracts and aggressive luxury-tax penalties that would force teams to make tough decisions." It would "promote player movement and distribute talent more evenly across the league." Sharp: "And it worked. Look around you." Free agency is "every bit as fascinating as most playoff series, and it’s probably more interesting than most of the regular season." The NBA "is a year-round sport now." The TV money "flowing into the league has given every team the license to go absolutely nuts, without fear of repercussions," but it "started with the last CBA" (GRANTLAND.com, 7/2).
