Phil Jackson is ready to spend New York Knicks owner James Dolan’s money.
The NBA recently reached a $24 billion TV deal with Turner Sports and ESPN, and the salary cap is expected to explode by 2016-17 as a result. Projections vary at the moment, since the NBA could decide to implement a smoothing-out process that increases spending power as early as this coming summer, but even if that’s the case, the salary cap should creep above $80 million by summer 2016—unless owners get creative or somehow gain control of an invincible iron fist and convince the players they still don’t have money.
If it does increase, high-spending teams are going to be happy. Presidents and general managers will see superteams in their sleep and blank checks overrunning their desks. Visions of grandeur will become more grand. Pipe dreams will journey deeper down the pipe. Rebuilding and retooling through free agency will become a more common occurrence than it already it is.
Never mind that an increase in salary cap means an increase in max contracts, thereby, in theory, making everything proportionate. This inevitable explosion means huge hopes—many of which will originate from New York, specifically Jackson’s office.
From ESPN New York’s Ian Begley:
“Carmelo took less money — even though it seems rather minuscule — but it’s enough for us to have flexibility in the coming year and then as the years go on the pie’s going to get bigger, things will happen,” Jackson told New Yorker moderator Ben McGrath.
Now, Jackson is a smart man. He has to know that any cap increase—however drastic—won’t spell reflexively incredible things. Again, players are going to cost more. The increase will eventually balance out with player salaries.
Immediately, though, the Knicks are at an advantage. Carmelo Anthony’s near-max contract won’t be a near-max contract if the cap jumps to $80-plus million. He’ll be making more than a few million dollars less annually in that scenario. So if the Knicks plan right, they could be in play for a superstar in each of the next two summers. It all depends on how much they spend this year.
If they’re able to sign one star to a non-max deal, they can continue chasing championships while also remaining in the Kevin Durant hunt that will begin in 2016, provided he recovers from his latest injury without a hitch. That would be big, and it would mean Melo’s “generosity” would be big. His contract value has been criticized to no one end, since his pay cut was deemed inconsequential, but any salary-cap eruption changes the perception of his deal.
And that really puts the pressure on Jackson to court stars. Yes, plural. If the Knicks are going to have extreme plasticity over the next two summers, he’ll need to make use of it, choosing the right players, handing out the right pacts, assembling the ideal roster. Otherwise, Anthony’s “sacrifice” will be for naught and, as a result, not seem like much of a sacrifice at all.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com.
