[WizardofOzParticipant]

"Stern stated that there is some interest in contraction from both the league and players sides and that the subject will be picked up after the current Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations are completed. "[Contraction] is not a subject that we’re against," Stern said. "In fact, when you talk about revenue sharing, a number of teams have said that if you have a team that is perpetually going to be a recipient, aren’t you better off with the ability to buy them in?" … One obvious hurdle to contraction, Stern acknowledged, is the selection of which team or teams would be put on the chopping block."
 

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/morning-jolt/08/15/monday-jolt/index.html#ixzz1V7bE3yOw

With contraction being one of the possible outcomes of this lockout, which teams, if any, may be possible options for downsize? Assuming possible teams would be those which are least profitable, teams that are losing substantial money on a continual base seem like likely candidates. According to forbes the following teams lost significant money (>10MM) last year (2010):

http://www.forbes.com/lists/2010/32/basketball-valuations-11_Boston-Celtics_326173.html

Orlando Magic -23.1MM
Sacramento Kings -9.8MM
Charlotte Bobcats -20.0MM
Indiana Pacers -16.9MM
Denver Nuggets -11.7MM
New Jersey Nets -10.2MM

[WizardofOzParticipant]

Surprisingly, teams like New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Minnesota managed to mitigate substantial losses with lean roster spending.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

Surprisingly, teams like New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Minnesota managed to mitigate substantial losses with lean roster spending.

[WizardofOzParticipant]

Surprisingly, teams like New Orleans, Milwaukee, and Minnesota managed to mitigate substantial losses with lean roster spending.

[akhan786Participant]

Instead of contraction, one or two teams could move to Canada don’t you think?

The fact that Toronto is always filling out seats for a sub-par team has got to make some NBA owners look up north for greener pastures.

[akhan786Participant]

Instead of contraction, one or two teams could move to Canada don’t you think?

The fact that Toronto is always filling out seats for a sub-par team has got to make some NBA owners look up north for greener pastures.

[akhan786Participant]

Instead of contraction, one or two teams could move to Canada don’t you think?

The fact that Toronto is always filling out seats for a sub-par team has got to make some NBA owners look up north for greener pastures.

[Cardinal_FanParticipant]

 Im personally pro contraction. I think it will only help the league as you would have more stars being able to come together making an overall better product. Teams such as Cleveland, Toronto, Milwuakee, New Orleans, Charlotte, Golden State, Atlanta, and Utah are really not attractive places for free agents and would have to rely on hitting it big in the lottery and landing a Lebron James or Kevin Durant type talent to build around. Those odds are not high as those type of talents dont come around every year. Alot of these teams are losing money anyway and would will probably never be in a situation where they will seriously contend for a championship. So with shrinking the amount of teams the talent could be evenly sprinkled around the league making games more competitive and also shortening an 82 game season which the players ive heard are in favor for.

[Cardinal_FanParticipant]

 Im personally pro contraction. I think it will only help the league as you would have more stars being able to come together making an overall better product. Teams such as Cleveland, Toronto, Milwuakee, New Orleans, Charlotte, Golden State, Atlanta, and Utah are really not attractive places for free agents and would have to rely on hitting it big in the lottery and landing a Lebron James or Kevin Durant type talent to build around. Those odds are not high as those type of talents dont come around every year. Alot of these teams are losing money anyway and would will probably never be in a situation where they will seriously contend for a championship. So with shrinking the amount of teams the talent could be evenly sprinkled around the league making games more competitive and also shortening an 82 game season which the players ive heard are in favor for.

[Cardinal_FanParticipant]

 Im personally pro contraction. I think it will only help the league as you would have more stars being able to come together making an overall better product. Teams such as Cleveland, Toronto, Milwuakee, New Orleans, Charlotte, Golden State, Atlanta, and Utah are really not attractive places for free agents and would have to rely on hitting it big in the lottery and landing a Lebron James or Kevin Durant type talent to build around. Those odds are not high as those type of talents dont come around every year. Alot of these teams are losing money anyway and would will probably never be in a situation where they will seriously contend for a championship. So with shrinking the amount of teams the talent could be evenly sprinkled around the league making games more competitive and also shortening an 82 game season which the players ive heard are in favor for.

[akhan786Participant]

But but but I live in Charlotte :'(

Haha yeah I get what you mean, but if it does happen I can tell a lot of fans will be heartbroken. I’d ratherly have my Charlotte Bobcats than have another Big Three in the league.

 

[akhan786Participant]

But but but I live in Charlotte :'(

Haha yeah I get what you mean, but if it does happen I can tell a lot of fans will be heartbroken. I’d ratherly have my Charlotte Bobcats than have another Big Three in the league.

 

[akhan786Participant]

But but but I live in Charlotte :'(

Haha yeah I get what you mean, but if it does happen I can tell a lot of fans will be heartbroken. I’d ratherly have my Charlotte Bobcats than have another Big Three in the league.

 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Toronto is the largest city in Canada, by far. Though you might think otherwise be the seemingly disproportionate amount of people from Toronto that post on this board, the Raptors are not exactly the team of the diehard fan. Like ANY team, the city shows them love, but they were 19th out of 30th in the NBA this past season. When the Grizz left Vancouver, they were 27th out of 29 teams for two years in a row. As sad as I think it is, the basketball community in Canada, outside of this message board, sucks. It does, and if you disagree with me, than tough, but it is effing pathetic.

I am hopeful for change, but it has not come yet. I think the Raptors definitely should maintain an NBA franchise, and the only reason why they might eventually take it away is due to the fact that players more than likely hate paying the higher taxes that come with playing 41 home games in Toronto. Yes, you get taxed according to where you play the games. Still, Toronto has been fantastic, and I believe that Vancouver could support an NBA team as well. Outside of those two, I see little reason to be optimistic over the prospect of moving teams to Canada.

While it always sucks when a city loses a team, it would 100% make the NBA more competitive if contraction really did actually happen. Fewer teams means fewer jobs, but it also means a higher level of talent. That is why a fantasy league with 8 teams will usually have a much better roster than one with 10 teams, because more of the best players will be on your team. Well, if you wanted to make a couple smaller market teams better, even cutting two teams would help tremendously. I am sure the Timberwolves and Bucks would be licking their chops if this happened (they are two teams I think would be likely not to be cut). Nonetheless, I am not 100% for contraction, but if it did happen, I could definitely see the positives. 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Toronto is the largest city in Canada, by far. Though you might think otherwise be the seemingly disproportionate amount of people from Toronto that post on this board, the Raptors are not exactly the team of the diehard fan. Like ANY team, the city shows them love, but they were 19th out of 30th in the NBA this past season. When the Grizz left Vancouver, they were 27th out of 29 teams for two years in a row. As sad as I think it is, the basketball community in Canada, outside of this message board, sucks. It does, and if you disagree with me, than tough, but it is effing pathetic.

I am hopeful for change, but it has not come yet. I think the Raptors definitely should maintain an NBA franchise, and the only reason why they might eventually take it away is due to the fact that players more than likely hate paying the higher taxes that come with playing 41 home games in Toronto. Yes, you get taxed according to where you play the games. Still, Toronto has been fantastic, and I believe that Vancouver could support an NBA team as well. Outside of those two, I see little reason to be optimistic over the prospect of moving teams to Canada.

While it always sucks when a city loses a team, it would 100% make the NBA more competitive if contraction really did actually happen. Fewer teams means fewer jobs, but it also means a higher level of talent. That is why a fantasy league with 8 teams will usually have a much better roster than one with 10 teams, because more of the best players will be on your team. Well, if you wanted to make a couple smaller market teams better, even cutting two teams would help tremendously. I am sure the Timberwolves and Bucks would be licking their chops if this happened (they are two teams I think would be likely not to be cut). Nonetheless, I am not 100% for contraction, but if it did happen, I could definitely see the positives. 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

Toronto is the largest city in Canada, by far. Though you might think otherwise be the seemingly disproportionate amount of people from Toronto that post on this board, the Raptors are not exactly the team of the diehard fan. Like ANY team, the city shows them love, but they were 19th out of 30th in the NBA this past season. When the Grizz left Vancouver, they were 27th out of 29 teams for two years in a row. As sad as I think it is, the basketball community in Canada, outside of this message board, sucks. It does, and if you disagree with me, than tough, but it is effing pathetic.

I am hopeful for change, but it has not come yet. I think the Raptors definitely should maintain an NBA franchise, and the only reason why they might eventually take it away is due to the fact that players more than likely hate paying the higher taxes that come with playing 41 home games in Toronto. Yes, you get taxed according to where you play the games. Still, Toronto has been fantastic, and I believe that Vancouver could support an NBA team as well. Outside of those two, I see little reason to be optimistic over the prospect of moving teams to Canada.

While it always sucks when a city loses a team, it would 100% make the NBA more competitive if contraction really did actually happen. Fewer teams means fewer jobs, but it also means a higher level of talent. That is why a fantasy league with 8 teams will usually have a much better roster than one with 10 teams, because more of the best players will be on your team. Well, if you wanted to make a couple smaller market teams better, even cutting two teams would help tremendously. I am sure the Timberwolves and Bucks would be licking their chops if this happened (they are two teams I think would be likely not to be cut). Nonetheless, I am not 100% for contraction, but if it did happen, I could definitely see the positives. 

[Cardinal_FanParticipant]

 Yeah man i understand where your coming from, i know it would hit hometown fans hard, but imo it will only help the league as an overall product.

[Cardinal_FanParticipant]

 Yeah man i understand where your coming from, i know it would hit hometown fans hard, but imo it will only help the league as an overall product.

[Cardinal_FanParticipant]

 Yeah man i understand where your coming from, i know it would hit hometown fans hard, but imo it will only help the league as an overall product.

[andxxxParticipant]

 I guess everyone ignores the fact that contraction results in thousands of job losses not including the players that lose jobs too.  Contraction would make for better competition, but not enough for the many job losses that will come as a result of contraction.

[andxxxParticipant]

 I guess everyone ignores the fact that contraction results in thousands of job losses not including the players that lose jobs too.  Contraction would make for better competition, but not enough for the many job losses that will come as a result of contraction.

[andxxxParticipant]

 I guess everyone ignores the fact that contraction results in thousands of job losses not including the players that lose jobs too.  Contraction would make for better competition, but not enough for the many job losses that will come as a result of contraction.

[akhan786Participant]

If contraction did occur…how would the players be spread out?

If they become Free Agents I assume, if multiple teams get contracted, the NBA will have to make a more lenient salary cap because they’ll be better players with higher salaries on the market looking for a team.

Or will it be some kind of make-shift draft?

[akhan786Participant]

If contraction did occur…how would the players be spread out?

If they become Free Agents I assume, if multiple teams get contracted, the NBA will have to make a more lenient salary cap because they’ll be better players with higher salaries on the market looking for a team.

Or will it be some kind of make-shift draft?

[akhan786Participant]

If contraction did occur…how would the players be spread out?

If they become Free Agents I assume, if multiple teams get contracted, the NBA will have to make a more lenient salary cap because they’ll be better players with higher salaries on the market looking for a team.

Or will it be some kind of make-shift draft?

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

It would be a make shift draft. I think a lottery would probably be held and the worst teams would get priority of who they wanted to choose. Obviously we would have to see what happens in the CBA to see what the contract situation would be like, but that would radically effect everything anyway, at least as far as pay scale is concerned. The ABA brought some full teams to the NBA, but the ones that went bust were picked by teams through a contraction draft, worked out quite well. 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

It would be a make shift draft. I think a lottery would probably be held and the worst teams would get priority of who they wanted to choose. Obviously we would have to see what happens in the CBA to see what the contract situation would be like, but that would radically effect everything anyway, at least as far as pay scale is concerned. The ABA brought some full teams to the NBA, but the ones that went bust were picked by teams through a contraction draft, worked out quite well. 

[mikeyvthedonParticipant]

It would be a make shift draft. I think a lottery would probably be held and the worst teams would get priority of who they wanted to choose. Obviously we would have to see what happens in the CBA to see what the contract situation would be like, but that would radically effect everything anyway, at least as far as pay scale is concerned. The ABA brought some full teams to the NBA, but the ones that went bust were picked by teams through a contraction draft, worked out quite well. 

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