Is convincing stars to take pay cuts becoming a necessary part of building a championship team?

That's unlikely and hard to imagine that someone like Terry Rozier would be paid the same as LeBron, Durant or Curry.

They should either eliminate max salaries or create a tier structure (1 player at 35% of cap (supermax designation), 1 player at 20% cap (max designation), subsequent players for remaining 45%) if the league is serious about parity.

 

I've heard a lot of ideas over the years. That seems as good better than all of them.

 

Nah. I'm not even convinced you need 3 stars to win a championship, which seems to be the consensus at this moment in time. Good team chemistry and good coaching is easily equivalent to a star or two.

Continuing with that, the best way to convince some to take a paycut is to create the team I just described: one that actually entices someone to play for you not just play for your money. They're all multimultimillionaires. If their options are all average teams, yeah, they'll take every cent they can get. If the team has some potential or all the potential, a few million less isn't going to kill them to play there.

I completely believe that Chris Paul is dipping his toe in the Rockets' pool this year to test the water. If he's given the control and influence he'll want and need and sees the team really working hard on and off the court for that championship, he'll stay, and we'll see what long term contract negotiations look like in a year. If not, he'll either go somewhere else, or he'll stay and take as much money as he can get.

 

People are taking the wrong lesson regarding Durant's pay cut.

The issue to being competitive isn't so much paying max dollars to the superstars. It's paying superstar money to all-stars or all-star money to role players. And we can all point to examples of these overpaid players!

In the Warriors case, the issue was Iguodala's ridiculous 3y/48m contract as a 33yo with back issues. I think we all agree, he was overpaid (or significantly so if you include luxury tax). If Iguodala, however, got a 42m contract, it would be more in line with his worth (and even then somewhat overpaid IMHO.

Had Iguodala gotten a 42m contract, Durant would have been able to get his near max of 31.5m. And I think this was the original plan. Then on one would be complaining about any players taking pay cuts.

 

for me I don't hate on Durant for taking less money. Props to him for that.. MOst people hate on him for his lack of passion and competitiveness. There has never been a super star or top 3 player in the league go join one of the best teams in league history who that just bounced him from the playoff's. Durant deserves far more hate than LBJ ever got for his big 3 in Miami.

 

it is when your two best players are prime mvps and your 3rd and 4th best players are prime all nba, all star, dpoy, and all defensive players. you are not overcoming than with just chemistry and coaching. its going to require talent first

 

They also have iggy who is 6moy FMVP player.

 

i could go on about how deep they are but didn't think it was necessary after you go through just the first 4

 

Yeah agree on that. I look like I'm defending KD but I'm really not, I mean I like that he wants to win at all costs but it is the equivalent of cheating to me. This is like Lebron going to Boston Celtics to join KG, Pierce and Ray Allen after they beat him.