NBA commissioner David Stern said he thinks the subject of dissolving teams will be considered during the league's contract negotiations with the players' union next year.
"I think that's a subject that will be on the table with the players as we look to see what's the optimum way to present our game and are there cities and teams that cannot make it in the current economic environment," Stern said.
A post on nba.com said Stern wants to reduce player costs by $700-800 million next year because the league is losing too much money. While he claims that league expansion has always been his goal, he's willing to consider contraction as a way of chiseling away at player salaries.
I don't think David Stern would cut off his hands to save money on gloves. He seems more like a guy who'd save nickels and dimes by cutting back on his kids' allowances and feeding his dog less. He'd rather pay the players less than have less teams to show off in the sports world.
Maybe the league should squash some squads to save money. Here are four teams, two in each conference, that the league might be better without.
1. Los Angeles Clippers. Donald Sterling is the worst owner in basketball. In forty years of existence, they've never won a championship, conference title, or even a division. They were losers in Buffalo, losers in San Diego and losers through 3 different Los Angeles Laker dynasties. Contraction can commence with the Clippers. Total contract value saved: $116 million.
2. Indiana Pacers. The Reggie Miller era Pacers were fantastic. Dale Davis, Mark Jackson, Rik Smits. Derrick McKey. And then Ron Artest and Jermaine O'Neal. But now, with Dookies Josh McRoberts and Mike Dunleavy playing with Tyler Hansbrough on Larry Bird's melaninically challenged dream team, the Pacers are a boring squad of perennial losers.
Indianapolis already has Peyton Manning and the Indy 500. They can afford to lose the Pacers and the NBA would be better without Klan Kapital, Indiana. Total contract value saved: $140 million.
3. Minneapolis Timberwolves. I love the city of Minneapolis and the state of Minnesota. If they lost the T-Wolves because of contraction, I'd want them to get another team as soon as the league had more money.
The Timberwolves can go though. Kevin McHale's bad business with Joe Smith cost them five first round picks, crippling them from 2000-2005. Flip Saunders couldn't figure out how to win with MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Kevin Garnett. They haven't made the playoffs since 2004 and their big 2010 off-season acquisition was dud Darko Milicic thanks to the anti-savvy of their general manager David Kahn.
Minnesota lost the original Lakers in 1960 and can survive losing the Timberwolves. Total contract value saved: $68 million.
4. Charlotte Bobcats. I have family in Charlotte. I got nothing but love for Charlotte. Yet I wouldn't mind seeing the league fold Michael Jordan's team. In this past offseason, MJ has hated on both Kobe Bryant & LeBron James. I don't remember any other owner hating on either except for Dan Gilbert's rant against LeBron.
MJ is turning into an old crabby hater. He got his rings as a player but can't recapture the glory as a front office exec. So he takes pot shots at young guys who threaten to eclipse some of his marks.
Charlotte deserves better. The NBA should dissolve the Bobcats now and come back in five years with yet another Charlotte team, this time owned by Magic Johnson. Total contract value saved: $169 million.
With the removal of those four franchises, the NBA would save nearly $500 million in player salaries. Once the economic climate improves, Minnesota and Charlotte would be welcomed back into the league with better ownership & brighter futures. Angelenos would unite in support of their one and only real basketball team, the Lakers. And Indianapolis could become the first city to land a team in the All-American Basketball Alliance.
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