The NBA’s current contract with its players’ union lasts until at least 2017, at which point the players are expected to opt out and seek a new deal, one that perhaps grants more flexibility in decision-making, or at least a larger share of the sport’s skyrocketing income. Owners prefer a salary-capped league because it creates market parity, or else teams in bigger, richer cities could simply always try to outbid their competitors for star players. Would James still be playing for Cleveland in such a universe? Would Jordan stick with the L.A. Clippers, long regarded as minnows compared to their intracity rival, the Lakers? Perhaps not, but in restricting the movement of players and the amounts they can be paid, the contract has created an environment where one decision can mean life or death for a team. That could only be stripped away if owners decided to abandon the cap completely. But in trying to impose salary control, the restrictions have granted a different kind of power to star players—power that money can’t buy.
Source: What DeAndre Jordan’s Decision to Stay with the Clippers Means for the NBA – The Atlantic