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Three big things the new CBA might fix, including superstars teaming up

新CBA三大可能改變, 包括限制巨星組隊

by Larry Coon


We might have news of a new collective bargaining agreement soon.
Does an early deal mean that nothing is changing in the NBA?
Will it be business as usual next July as the league heads into free
agency?
Not exactly.
What should we look for in the new CBA? Here are three big things the
NBA would like to fix.

我們可能很快就會有新CBA的消息, 一早達成協議, 是否意味著將不會有所改變
？明年夏天FA市場是否會一切照舊？
不完全是
甚麼是我們期待新CBA會有的改變？以下是NBA有可能採取的三個重大改變

What's different this time

這次(CBA談判)有何不同？

There likely won't be any sweeping changes, but the sides are taking
the opportunity to improve the system. Among a number of smaller tweaks
, the sides are paying attention to three larger issues.

可能不會有任何徹底的變化, 但雙方正在尋求改變系統的機會, 除了一些小調整
之外, 雙方會專注於三個較大的問題

After Kevin Durant made headlines next summer by joining the Golden
State Warriors, the league is taking steps to make super teams harder
to assemble. They're also trying to level the playing field for
restricted free agents, and they're taking further steps to establish
the NBA D-League as a true minor league.



These negotiations reflect a spirit of cooperation that hasn't existed
since -- well, ever.

這些談判反應了(CBA)一直以來缺乏的合作精神

The two sides aren't at odds with each other this time and aren't under
the gun to ratify an agreement as soon as humanly possible. Previous
agreements -- the recent ones, at least -- were finalized in July or
later with the entire league on hold, anxious to get back to business
the instant a deal was struck. For the most part, neither side trusted
the other. Both sides thought the other would happily throw them in front
of a speeding train, just to get a little extra for themselves.



How do you improve the system in that kind of environment? You can't,
really. The best you can hope for is a workable compromise, something
neither side really likes but both sides can live with. You address the
deal-breaking issues, and you patch the glaring holes. You punt on as
many issues as you can -- saying you'll deal with them later, or maybe
never.But this time the sides are close to shaking hands on a deal in
late November or early December, seven months before the season ends.
In this case, the possibility of an opt-out on December 15 is driving
the discussion -- the current CBA will end on June 30, 2017, if either
side exercises its right to terminate the agreement. Both sides want
to have a deal in place before the opt-out date.

在這樣的環境下你要如何改善體系？不可能做得到。
你最好的預期是雙方都不滿意但可接受下的妥協方案, 修補導致破局的主要問題
, 並承諾日後你會處理其他問題--事實上可能永遠作不到。


Coming to an agreement this early would be unprecedented -- but a lot
has changed since 2011, including the leaders and their approach.

這麼早達成協議是前所未見的, 但自2011年來很多事情已經改變, 包括聯盟領導
人及其策略

"From day one, we both tried to establish a tonality, a process in
which there would be transparency and in which there would be respect
from both sides," NBA commissioner Adam Silver said at his Board of
Governors press conference in October.

NBA理事長Adam　Silver在十月份的聯盟理事會記者會上說：「從一開始, 雙方
就試著建立一個透明且雙方都得到尊重的基調」

The other big difference between then and now is money. Back in 2011,
the league maintained that the system was unsustainable, with at least
20 of the 30 teams operating in the red. But with the fixes from the
2011 CBA and the infusion of revenue from the new national television
contracts, the league is now flush with cash -- teams are now turning
a profit, the salary cap spiked from $70 million to more than $94
million in 2016-17, and franchises are selling for record prices.



Collectively the players are signed for $3.4 billion in 2016-17,
compared to the $2.2 billion they made in 2010-11. Even though the
players are making a smaller percentage now (51 percent vs. 57 percent)
, they are still being paid a lot more under the current deal.

相較於2010-11球季的22億美元, 球員合約在2016-17球季達到34億美元, 即使球
員分配的比例比過去少(51%對57%), 他們仍然在現有的CBA下得到更多報酬

So pretty much everybody is motivated to keep the business running
smoothly. No one wants to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.
According to reports, rather than endless haggling over how to split
the pie, the two sides have reached to a pretty quick consensus to
leave the revenue split the way it is, with the players receiving
the same 49 to 51 percent (the exact percentage depends on how well
the league does financially in each season). The reported quid pro
quo from the league is that additional money will be set aside for
retired players to fund health benefits, educational benefits and
the like.



With the biggest issue -- money -- apparently resolved, the sides
have had the time and the freedom to look at some of the other
problems they want to fix.

當最大的問題--錢--得到解決, 雙方就有時間和自由去處理其他他們想解決的問
題

Three big things to watch for

值得注意的三大問題

Here are three issues the two sides appear to be addressing in the
next CBA, according to media reports over the past month or so.

根據過去一個多月的媒體報導, 雙方正在著手處理三大問題

1. Slowing down the formation of super-teams

1. 減緩超級球隊的產生

Durant leaving the Thunder for the Warriors sent shock waves through
the entire league. It shouldn't have been so easy for a team to win
so many games and then sign a recent MVP in his prime without touching
the core of its roster. But because the stars aligned just right in
2016, that's exactly what happened.



The players fought long and hard for the right for today's version of
free agency, and the league is respectful of that. So rather than
overreacting to a fluke occurrence and adding additional restrictions
to chill player movement, owners instead appear to be focused on making
it easier for teams to retain their own talent.



The best way to keep a player from leaving in free agency is to lock
him up before he can become a free agent. To that end, it looks like
the owners are trying to increase the availability of extensions.
Currently an extension can't be signed until the third anniversary of
the contract signing. The new rules would lower that to two years.
Rookie extensions would see some improvements as well, with two players,
rather than just one, eligible to be designated to receive a five-year
extension.



We'd still need to see more to be sure that an extension will be an
attractive alternative to free agency. One big limitation is that a
player cannot receive more than a 7.5 percent raise in the first year
of an extension. Unless this restriction is lifted, free agency will
continue to be the preferred choice for many players.



Another way to reduce superstar movement is to reduce teams' cap room
(without necessarily lowering the cap itself). It appears the new
agreement will increase cap holds for players coming off their rookie
contracts. It will likely also raise minimum salaries (and also the cap
holds for empty roster spots), and maybe maximum salaries as well.



In addition to the direct financial effect on players, these rule
changes also will have the indirect effect of reducing teams' cap room.
It appears super teams will be harder to assemble under the new
agreement. That said, as long as we have a cap on individual player
salaries, it will encourage players to join forces.

除了對球員直接的財務影響, 這些規定的改變將會間接導致球隊薪資空間減少,
使得超級球隊更難組成, 也會鼓勵球員加入有空間的球隊

2. Making restricted free agency less restrictive

2. 減少受限自由球員所受的限制

Restricted free agents have always been akin to second-class citizens.
They don't enjoy true freedom of movement, because their prior teams
can match any contract they sign, which puts the brakes on their
departure.And because of the three-day window to match a contract offer,
teams are hesitant to make offers to restricted free agents. They often
feel they can't risk tying up their cap room for three days in the
crucial free agency period, only to have their offer matched -- not only
do they miss out on the free agent, but other free agents are getting
signed in the meantime.Cases like Dion Waiters' only add to the
indignity. The Thunder made Waiters a restricted free agent last summer,
restricting his marketability, then rescinded their qualifying offer on
July 18, which made him unrestricted after most teams had already
committed their cap room and roster spots to other players.



It appears the new agreement will feature several rule changes aimed at
leveling the playing field for restricted free agents. Teams will be
able to sign them to offer sheets as early as July 1, while unrestricted
free agents will still have to wait several more days until the end of
the July moratorium. The window to match an offer will be shortened to
48 hours, and teams will no longer be able to scare off other teams by
proclaiming they will match any offer, then wait the entire match period
before pulling the trigger.



And in what should now be called the Dion Waiters rule, teams can no
longer unilaterally rescind their qualifying offers. Once a qualifying
offer is submitted, making the player a restricted free agent, the offer
has to stay on the table.

同時, 這該被稱為Dion Waiters條款, 球隊將不能再單方面撤銷他們的合格報價
。一旦提出合格報價使得球員成為受限自由球員, 這份報價就必須留在檯面上。

3. Taking the D-League to the next level

3. 提高發展聯盟的等級

The sides are making a number of changes to increase the value of the
D-League as a true minor league. Some D-League salaries will rise from
their current $19,000 -- $26,000 to a much healthier $50,000 -- $75,000.
The league will introduce two-way contracts, in which the player will
earn a higher salary when he's with the parent NBA club and less when
he's playing for the D-League affiliate. The league also will add two
additional roster spots for two-way contracts.



As the league continues to make strides toward every NBA team having
its own affiliate, the D-League will continue to grow in importance as
a destination for young players to develop.

隨著聯盟持續推動每個NBA球隊都擁有自己的子隊, 也將繼續提高發展聯盟的重
要性, 使之達成提供年輕球員發展的目標

But there are still some questions to answer. In order to utilize two-way
contracts, will a team have to have a full complement of 15 players under
regular NBA contracts? If not, teams will be able to simply replace more
expensive NBA contracts with less expensive two-way contracts for the
players at the end of their rosters. If this happens, a rule change that
will be touted as creating up to 60 new jobs will instead become a means
for teams to cut corners.



Another consideration is preventing teams from using D-League assignments
as a punitive measure. If a coach is upset with a player on a two-way
contract, he could assign that player to the D-League, effectively
forcing the player to take an enormous salary cut.



The first problem is easy to solve -- don't let a team sign a two-way
contract unless it already has 15 players under NBA contract -- although
some of the details will need to be tweaked (for example, what happens
when a team has 15 NBA contracts and two two-way contracts, then makes
a two-for-one trade). The second problem will be harder to solve: How do
you protect a player with a two-way contract from a vindictive coach?



Super teams, restricted free agency, and player development appear to be
some of the principal areas of focus as the sides nudge closer to an
agreement. They also appear to be looking at changes to the revenue and
cap calculations, tweaking maximum salaries and the over-36 rule, raising
salaries at the low end of the spectrum, and clarifying some of the rules
on player discipline.



But none of this should be considered a lock until there's a handshake
on an actual agreement. The information that has leaked may represent an
incomplete or inaccurate depiction of what's being discussed at the
negotiating table. Even if something has been agreed to, it can still be
traded for another rule change that one side wants more. Nothing is final
until the entire agreement is finalized.



But everything we've heard so far sounds promising. These are the kinds
of changes you get to make when you have the luxury of time on your side.

但是我們聽到的一切很有前景, 這些是當你有空的時候, 才有餘力進行的改變。

--
有三個身懷絕技的年輕人初出茅廬, 被魔教教主痛毆了一頓

第一個年輕人回去苦練絕世武功, 教養小弟, 兩年後果然報了仇
第二個年輕人回去找了幾個同樣身懷絕技的兄弟, 回頭也報了仇
第三個年輕人眼見打不過, 撲通一聲跪下認了魔教教主當大哥

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