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Lets use this thread for all CBA NEWS. This summer could be as big as last years for Miami. We need this season to start on time and we need the flex cap to stay in place. A hard cap could kill what Riley is building.

KBerg_CBS Ken Berger
Stern says cap "target" is $62 million per team, with a max above that to allow for exceptions such as the Bird exception." #NBA

KBerg_CBS Ken Berger
Stern: Proposal also included "flex cap," with a max that could be exceeded and a minimum. #NBA

alanhahn Alan Hahn
Stern says league offered "flex cap" system, and guaranteed players at least $2B in salaries for life of 10 year deal.

NYPost_Berman Marc Berman
Stern says made "very significant" counter with "flex cap." Players said see you friday, according to commish.

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Stern: NBA proposed a targeted $62 million cap. As far as league's best offer? "It's all out there." Wouldn't call it "final" though.

If we can't go over 62 million then we are screwed already. We are at 65 million next year that is if we don't bring back Chalmers and others... Also we NEED MLE/LLE if we want to compete at this point. Any word if that will be around still?

The NBA proposed a 62 million fex cap and bird rights(We would be able to resign Mario Chalmers and trade for other players) The Draft becomes alot more important . It seems like the NBA is trying to get rid of the MLE and/or LLE. As long as its not a hard cap we should be alright.

We desperately need the MLE to stick around.

It's starting to look like we are going to be **** going forward in terms of being able to build.

Tuff Gong wrote:We desperately need the MLE to stick around.

It's starting to look like we are going to be **** going forward in terms of being able to build.

Don't get too gloomy just yet. Seems like BOTH the MLE and Bird Rule could make it into the new CBA:

The essence of the system described by Stern was an NHL-style cap system with a targeted salary of $62 million per team and a to-be-negotiated range from a minimum to an amount above $62 million that teams could spend up to through various exceptions currently in place – such as the Larry Bird exception and mid-level exception. An escrow-like system would be used to adjust for teams coming in below and above the $62 million target. Unlike the current escrow system, through which 8 percent of players’ salaries is withheld and paid back if negotiated salaries fall short of 57 percent of revenues, Stern said owners would keep the escrow under the new system – making this, in effect, an 8 percent pay cut for the players in Year One.

http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/11838893/30170072

An earlier version of the ESPN article also mentioned that the owners have apparently yielded on removing the MLE and Bird Rule, but was removed for some reason in the subsequent refresh.

removing an MLE will not just harm us though guys remember that. any team wanting to add quality players yet is over the cap or will exceed the cap in coming years is pretty much screwed.

we made it to the finals and were a couple of meltdowns away from a chip. even adding a rookie or just a vet min guy can be beneficial for us next year. if we wont be able to get better neither will a lot of teams.

I can see them reducing the number of years on the MLE, but it's hard to believe they'd do away with some variation of it entirely. What happens if, say, the Mavs, whose payroll is already sky high and want to pay Tyson Chandler, don't wanna re-sign Caron Butler? Let's say the few teams that are under cap aren't interested in paying him what he's worth either. What's he supposed to do? Be forced to sign for the vet minimum for a team that's over the cap? Be forced to accept a lowball offer from one of the few teams that's under the cap and knows over the cap teams won't be able to match it? Seems like it'd be a huge mess and detrimental to a player's worth.

Very encouraging news that the OWNERS last proposal had an MLE included in it: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6688397

How likely is it that we're completely ****ed?

Unless you make the cap extremely high how do you get rid of the MLE? Essentially what you would be saying is the top 10 free agents will get paid by their own team or another (The Lebrons, Wades, Bosh, Boozer, Amare, etc), and the guys who will make the minimum can go anywhere they like but everyone in between? You can either take what your team is offering you or take the minimum elsewhere.

I honestly feel like I could knock this CBA out in 10 minutes.

Old CBA with these differences

- 1 year shorter contracts (4 for new team, 5 for current team)
- lower per year increases (I think it is 5% and 8% as above or something, change it to 4% and 6%)
- MLE calculates differently (instead of average salary, make it 3/4 or half of average salary - maybe 3/4 is sufficient)
- drop the luxury tax line down slightly (I think it was 72 million or something, bring it closer to the cap maybe 65 million)
- up the penalty to be over the luxury tax (maybe $2 for every $1 goes back to the league)

That is it:
- Less long term fail contracts, and don't skyrocket Rashard Lewis style with increases.
- Bigger signing advantage to current team, 5 years vs 4 is a bigger advantage than 6 v 5. Keeps more players on their teams
- MLE offers that usually turn bad, aren't quite the albatrosses.
-luxury tax ALMOST works like a hard cap, owners MUCH more likely to stay below it as contracts over get ridiculous.
- those few HUGE market teams, or 'do anything' owners, that still want to spend over the luxury, are hit, and hit hard, even they will reel it in, but when they don't, your small market teams really reap the benefits of the kickback from being under, helps to fund them so they can compete.

Just a quick thought that came to my mind: The owners appear to want to avoid a lockout more than ever after the league had its best financial year last season in a long time. Call me a Heat homer, but I'm pretty sure we played a part in this one. Ridiculously high TV ratings and higher ticket sales for every team whenever we face them benefited the league a lot. Considering a lot of people claimed our superteam would just hurt the league, I just want to say maybe a lot of people look stupid now.

Encouraging news yesterday. The latest proposal from the owner's does not include a true hard cap, keeps guaranteed contracts, and keeps both the MLE and Bird Exceptions. This is the first public concession on these issues from the owner's. Now, it is time for the player's union to make some concessions of their own. Obviously, the majority of the player's union is made up of guys that are not on maximum contracts so they need to make sure that they find a way to protect/maintain the middle class, while still allowing for player movement.

My fear was that the owner's could afford to stay firm on a number of issues and wait the player's out until they broke them. Now, it seems like the owner's really do want to avoid a long lock-out, and it will be interesting to see what the union comes back with. The current CBA does not need to ripped apart, rather tweaked as Marty suggested above.

With MLE and Bird Rights intact, there is something we're not hearing that is causing the players to balk. This sounds like the same deal they have now, but with a higher cap. Cap is currently $58M, right? This raises it $4M. I'm guessing that $62M cap would be for the full 10 years, which I can see being a problem. PEACE.

rainking wrote:My fear was that the owner's could afford to stay firm on a number of issues and wait the player's out until they broke them. Now, it seems like the owner's really do want to avoid a long lock-out, and it will be interesting to see what the union comes back with. The current CBA does not need to ripped apart, rather tweaked as Marty suggested above.

A hard cap was a non-starter. There was no way the owners could have stuck to that and expected negotiations to go anywhere.

My argument was that the owners were gonna feel the pressure because The Decision is not gonna happen again. They have a chance to ride the wave of popularity generated by Lebron and the Heat and carry these profits through the coming years. Maybe get the league back to its glory days. But a lockout would only (Please Use More Appropriate Word) any gains made. And given how the NFL players have successfully turned public opinion against the owners, there's probably a good deal of fear from NBA owners that turning the public against them could have longterm negative impacts on revenue.

I just don't see how you follow up an immensely popular season with a lockout. It's the epitome of shooting yourself in the foot. PEACE.

StrawberryShake wrote:removing an MLE will not just harm us though guys remember that. any team wanting to add quality players yet is over the cap or will exceed the cap in coming years is pretty much screwed.

we made it to the finals and were a couple of meltdowns away from a chip. even adding a rookie or just a vet min guy can be beneficial for us next year. if we wont be able to get better neither will a lot of teams.

I believe this is the best post of the thread...Any new CBA provision will not only impact the Heat.

In addition, look at Dallas/Lakers payroll and compare to the Heat.

So far, I'm loving the news on the NBA Owners proposal. I hope there is no lock out. I'm so looking forward to next year

and, You just got boned with what was just released my dear watson

I believe this same Heat can make the FInals next year..just need the Big 3 to play BIG. Thats all.

carbine23 wrote:I believe this same Heat can make the FInals next year..just need the Big 3 to play BIG. Thats all.

I think they did get tired. They would just fade out at the end, so many turn overs and slow. It happened to the Bulls with D.Rose when he'd play the whole 4th quarter.

Finally they will get some help off the bench. I don't want to see LeBron playing 45 minutes against the Timberwolves or something like that... lol.

DefenseWins wrote:

carbine23 wrote:I believe this same Heat can make the FInals next year..just need the Big 3 to play BIG. Thats all.

I think they did get tired. They would just fade out at the end, so many turn overs and slow. It happened to the Bulls with D.Rose when he'd play the whole 4th quarter.

Finally they will get some help off the bench. I don't want to see LeBron playing 45 minutes against the Timberwolves or something like that... lol.

Yeah, one game in the EC finals, he played for 45 mins. He played well and they won, but still. I want him getting at least a 10-minute rest.