CGTN Sports Talk: Will NBA teams squander their new salary cap again?

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CGTN Sports Talk EP179 Salary cap jump.mp3

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NBA teams will be able to spend much more money signing players soon as the salary cap is expected to reach $134 million for summer 2023-24. Furthermore, when the new nine-year, $75 billion TV deal begins to take effect in summer 2025, the salary cap is likely to reach an even more lucrative number.

If history is any reference, dramatic salary cap growth means a lot of big contracts will be signed, like what the NBA teams did in summer 2016.

However, things are much more complicated than that. There are always more maximum deals than players who deserve them waiting to be signed. When teams can't acquire the free agents they want the most, they will have to offer the contract to Plan B or Plan C. That will create a high risk of teams making the wrong decision.

Players also have hard calls to make. They understandably want to wait to sign bigger deals, but can't ignore the chances of getting injured before that. Some are willing to bet on themselves, but others prefer to play safe.

Chandler Parsons signs a four-year, $94 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016 summer and it becomes one of the worst deals sgined in that year. /CFP

Kevin Durant joins the Golden State Warriors as a free agent in 2016 summer. /CFP

Instead of becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2021 summer, Giannis Antetokounmpo signs a five-year, $228 million contract extension with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2020. /CFP

Jayson Tatum will become an unrestricted free agent in 2025 summer if he doesn't extend his current contract with the Boston Celtics. /CFP

Host: Li Xiang

Guest: Matthew Watson

Cover designer: Feng Yuan

Chief editor: Chen Ran

Supervisor: Zhang Shilei

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