Andrew Wiggins - can he force his way to the Raptors?

[DBoys]

"I don't really see how any player is really disadvantaged or "misses out" with that process."

Really? You don't see how a player draft would be a disadvantage to incoming players? Hmmm, okay.

I don't wish to go into a debate over the details since you can't see it at all, but to me the disadvantages are obvious, significant, and would be incredibly easy to litigate if not for the immunity provided by a CBA.

[Damon_3388]

"I don't really see how any player is really disadvantaged or "misses out" with that process."

Really? You don't see how a player draft would be a disadvantage to incoming players? Hmmm, okay.

I don't wish to go into a debate over the details since you can't see it at all, but to me the disadvantages are obvious, significant, and would be incredibly easy to litigate if not for the immunity provided by a CBA.

Explain it to me, o wise one, and provide a "better" alternative entry method too.

[DBoys]

It's an obvious legal problem for any league, because you are eliminating competition and dictating life choices.

With the NBA, for example....

Lebron comes into the NBA.

*With a draft, there is only one team he is allowed to play for, and his salary is essentially pre-set.
*Without a draft, he could negotiate his employment with any team, open up a bidding war to get a much bigger salary, and pick what city he works in.

The financial damages are obvious, and he's also harmed by the inability to pick who he wants to work with and where he wants to live. Any attorney with an ounce of ability would have a field day with such a case.

In total, with a draft you have 30 rich men gathering in a room and dictating lives: Lebron, you will live in Cleveland and make this much, Kevin Durant you will live in Oklahoma City and make this much, and so on. They are able to keep salaries lowered, by conspiring together to eliminate competition. And all of that is just not allowable in a free country.

[Damon_3388]

It's an obvious legal problem for any league, because you are eliminating competition and dictating life choices.

With the NBA, for example....

Lebron comes into the NBA.

*With a draft, there is only one team he is allowed to play for, and his salary is essentially pre-set.
*Without a draft, he could negotiate his employment with any team, open up a bidding war to get a much bigger salary, and pick what city he works in.

The financial damages are obvious, and he's also harmed by the inability to pick who he wants to work with and where he wants to live. Any attorney with an ounce of ability would have a field day with such a case.

In total, with a draft you have 30 rich men gathering in a room and dictating lives: Lebron, you will live in Cleveland and make this much, Kevin Durant you will live in Oklahoma City and make this much, and so on. They are able to keep salaries lowered, by conspiring together to eliminate competition. And all of that is just not allowable in a free country.

How is this any different from the average person applying for a job? Most people don't really get to pick and choose who they work for or decide the salary terms themself.

[DBoys]

Damon - "Most people don't really get to pick and choose who they work for"

Nonsense.

While many people are not skilled enough at their job to command a bidding war, they do indeed get to pick between all the employers who wish to hire them. Slavery was outlawed long ago.

In addition, what happens with "most people" is not the issue with the draft. We're not talking about "most people" here. The NBA is the best of the best of the best at playing hoops, perhaps the top 500 players in the world among the hundreds of thousands who play at all various levels all around the world, and NBA teams (when they draft) are picking among the players that they ALL want to hire.

What would happen if there wasn't a draft? Let's consider this coming summer. It's very apparent that without a draft every NBA team would be eager and willing to bid to have a player like Wiggins, Randle, Parker, Embiid, Exxum, and so on, and the offers would go through the roof as they bid against each other. Instead, one team will get the player, and there will be no competitive bidding between teams or choice for the player. Clearly, the NBA draft setup is costing each of them millions (and intended to do so, of course) and forcing them to live where they might not want to, by eliminating competition by NBA teams for their services. Absent a CBA, could they successfully sue for those damages sustained by being drafted? Absolutely.

[MarkDeeks]

The draft is a necessary evil of the collegiate system that American sport is built around. The collegiate system is kind of stupid, but it's here to stay now, so hey ho, a draft it is. (I do like the draft. Love it, even. But it's a bit messed up. "Sit there in a suit and wait until we tell you where you're working." M'kay.)

[Quake Griffin]

so Dboys actually does get it, he just felt like grilling me.

lol.
whatever.

[DBoys]

so Dboys actually does get it, he just felt like grilling me.

lol.
whatever.

LOL I understand the impression I must have given.

Let me clarify that I do agree with you that, in theory, NBA players are harmed by the draft. It's is clearly NOT to their benefit. So in theory, they COULD upset the apple cart.

But I didn't agree that they CAN and SHOULD sue (which is what I believed you were saying) ...because they have made a trade off, for other benefits, by being a participant in a CBA. Nor do I believe a lawsuit is inevitable, because I think the trade offs that prevent one will continue for the foreseeable future.

[ranger001]

I don't know that I'd agree that all NBA players are harmed by the draft. Some players are hurt but a minority, those near the top. The draft enables more players to get drafted due to the cost certainty.

Without a CBA a few teams would collapse due to not being able to compete with the richer teams, that's less nba jobs available. THE NBAPA understands this which is why they have let the draft continue. The median salary would fall a lot without a CBA. The top 10 players would be making like 30 mill and over and everyone else around 100K.