Larry Coon's new Salary Cap FAQ

Houston's close to signing Marc Gasol to max-contract offer sheet, working a sign-and-trade with Memphis to secure him, league sources say.
The Rockets are working to sign Marc Gasol to a 4 year, $55M offer sheet, sources tell Y! Memphis would have 3 days to match, or lose him.

Memphis is probably inclined to match the sheet, but if not, they can work a sign-and-trade with Rockets to get something for Gasol.

Source confirms @wojyahoonba info that Houston offering 4-year, $55 million offer sheet to Memphis' restricted FA forward, Marc Gasol. -- Sam Amick confirms

Remember what pissed us off most about LeBron picking Miami over New York? It wasn't just that he tried to stack the decks with a superteam; it's that he walked away from New York, the city with the most basketball fans, the city with the biggest spotlight, the city that would have either made him immortal or broken him in two. He didn't want it. He copped out. He could have picked loyalty (Cleveland) or immortality (New York); instead, he chose help (Miami). That killed us. We hated him for it. What was telling about Chris Paul's choice was that he eschewed the Clippers (a safer basketball situation for him; he would have been able to grow with Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan and Blake Griffin) for the Lakers (a much more volatile basketball situation with Kobe's miles and Bynum's knees) for the simple reason that he wanted to be a Laker.

For the right players, it's not about cities as much as teams, uniforms, histories, owners, fans, titles … and Chris Paul cares about the right things. He's the best teammate in the league. As much as it killed me that my least favorite team landed him, the "basketball fan" side of me loved it. Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant … together? Playing across the street from my office? How cool was that? I remember when KG landed on the Celtics, one of my Lakers-fan buddies told me, "I hate KG and I hate the Celtics, but this is going to be cool."

That's how I felt about Chris Paul and the Lakers. If you love basketball — if you truly love it — you appreciated what was happening. And it had nothing to do with the Washington Generals. Believe me.

Of course, that's not how December 8, 2011 will be remembered. Years from now, I won't remember anything about that day except for David Stern losing control of his own league. Once upon a time, it was reassuring to look there and expect to see him, and darn, he was there. It was kind of neat. Those days are long gone. The National Basketball Association has lost its way. I feel like crying.

The stomach-churning anxiety preceding decisions that might crush or delight fans is old. The slow churn of big-time sports decision-making has long been endured by most fans and commentators.

So long as those decisions were made the traditional way, by owners and GMs.

Seeing those same kinds of decisions in the hands of players, however ... that angers people. The idea is that they have not earned that.

But they have. They absolutely have. If by some combination of luck, skill and work you ever find yourself in the eye of a $5 billion storm, guess what: You'll get to pick your city and coworkers, too.

What's weird in the NBA isn't that superstars have power and exercise it. What's weird is that for so many decades they did not. NBA player earned the right to free agency in 1972, but unlike stars in other industries (Hollywood, music, Wall Street) have been restrained in exploring their market power. Now that's starting to change, which sure might make fans anxious. Nobody likes to get dumped.

But there's no decent argument against it. The players really do have the right of free agency now and again, and stressful though it may be for fans, they really can use it.

The essential measure of competitive balance in sports leagues is called "Noll-Scully" named in part after Stanford economist Roger Noll. He is unimpressed by the NBA's proposed system changes that he says would have, he says, "little effect" on parity.

He's in lockstep with every other noted expert who has commented publicly, including David Berri, who has studied the subject intensively across all major sports and found that of all historic attempts at harder caps "none of these institutions had any statistically significant impact on balance in any of these leagues."

British economist David Forrest says "the evidence isn't there."

Even the NBA's own expert on the economics, armed with all kinds of evidence tying payroll and on-court success, admits there is, at best, weak evidence to suggest harder caps have led to greater parity in other leagues.

The NBA itself saw no improvement in competitive balance when it became the first major American sport with a salary cap in 1984.

It's bad enough that David Stern and the owners have successfully made something like a million dollar loss more relevant than a $150 million profit, but now the players' refusal to sacrifice $950 million overshadows the $2.2 billion they've already sacrificed. It's disgusting. So disgusting that it was actually worth it for me to look up the numbers and pore over a financial reports and get out a calculator and stuff -- just to see how disgusting the whole thing is.

Mind-numbing math and mind-bending rhetoric distorts the issues and drives everyone crazy, and it only gets worse the longer the lockout lasts. The owners and David Stern love the bad news and disappointment when deals fall apart, because it just distracts everyone a little more.

But it doesn't change the truth: NBA players are getting screwed here, and the reason we're not playing basketball is because Stern and the owners think they haven't been screwed enough. Owners can't make money despite rising revenues, and they're embarrassed. LeBron James proved that he's more powerful than Dan Gilbert, and that was embarrassing, too. And the combination of empowered players and their own failed management has them scared. So, embarrassed and scared, the players have become the owners' scapegoat, and about half the NBA owners don't want to stop this lockout until the players are not just beaten, but humiliated. That's why we're not getting ready for the NBA this week.

Sorry, but I don't believe for a minute it's about 50/50 or 51/49 or 52/48, it's about owners not wanting to make a deal.

I believe if players said ... "OK, owners, we're beaten, we'll give you 50-50," owners would have replied "sorry, that won't do it."

If you're Riley, there are plenty of logical reasons not to entertain the idea of swapping James for Howard. In the first season of a long-term commitment, the Heat came within two wins of a title despite absorbing Mike Bibby's disastrous postseason. The team is not broken, so there's no pressing need to make a fix. Considering Wade's age and crash dummy playing style, dealing the Marquette product, instead of James, probably would be the safer choice, but the Heat front office might not have the stomach to deal the longtime face of its franchise to an intrastate rival.

In the end, here's the reality of the situation: With James, the Heat are title contenders; with Howard instead, they are still title contenders. On one hand, inserting Howard into the equation would produce a defensive powerhouse with a balanced scoring arsenal. On the other, keeping James would allow the Heat to build on a foundation that is already elite on both ends of the floor.

So, James or Howard? If you are Pat Riley, there is no wrong answer -- just the easier one.

Projecting Ricky Rubio

Another article on Jeremy Tyler by the New York Times

Jones began this season by playing much as he had in high school — like someone whose immense abilities were apparent to everyone but himself. Instead of making assertive offensive moves, he was too eager to pass the ball. At practices, coaches actually had to point out spots on the floor from which he could take one big step and dunk the ball.

Tim Allen of Hoopus attends the Sloan Sports Analytics  conference held at MIT

Sam Amick audio talking about the relocation possibility

And the fans fill the building. And the enthusiasm rekindles enthusiasm and momentum toward a new arena. So, OK, maybe a modern sports/entertainment complex that enables owners to remain competitive and attract events and concerts will remain only a dream. But I don't believe that.

Taylor is too smart, Johnson is too committed, local leaders too eager to buy in. That's what the Maloofs have to do. Buy in, emotionally. At a time when jobs are scarce, finances are spent, spirits are down, and sports and entertainment are the undeniable, ultimate escape, the Maloofs can raise their voices and lift a region. They can be beloved again, can be successful in Sacramento again. Stick with us, and then it's on us.

Any new arena will require a collaborative undertaking, requiring the people to contribute by supporting the team, embracing the Maloofs and understanding modern economic realities.

But that's for another day.

If there is another day.

It's not just fans attending Arco that's a problem, it's also fans viewing the games on TV too.

Forbes values the Kings at 293 million

There will be no more free passes. Evans will hear criticism, loud and direct — "Last year, it didn’t matter if we beat the Lakers or not; this year it is going to matter," says Peterson — if his individual excellence doesn’t soon yield wins.

Harsh, but isn’t this what every little kid wants? It’s repeated often: to those that much is given, much will be expected. In order to reach his goals, it’s something Evans must soon expect and accept.

He may never attain the galvanizing influence, or presence, of Magic Johnson, or the global appeal of an Air Jordan. But that’s not Evans’ concern. Never has been.

"I just want to be known as a good basketball player who is exciting to watch," says Evans. "That’s pretty much it."

Refreshing.

The Sixers used the No. 2 overall pick to bring Turner to Philadelphia, but he hasn’t set the basketball world on fire. He has, however, had games like the one he played in Phoenix where he scored a career-high 23 points and the one last Saturday in Detroit when he led the team with 19 points. In those games Iguodala was sidelined.

Collins says he can plug Turner in at the 1, 2 or 3 position. Still, the perimeter combination of Iguodala, Turner and Jrue Holiday has yet to show it works. It’s just too much of the same.

Something has to give and given Iguodala’s sizeable contract, if a taker can be found he seems the likely candidate to move on. We have been here before but not with a logjam at the small forward position, which may be the driving force that gets an in-season trade done.