[endgame]

I have mixed feelings about the issue, if we can call it that. It's primarily driven by financial resources. Just because the league is tight, doesn't mean a FA won't ask for more than any team is able to provide. That's the nature of economics and/or greed. "Get me what I can." So it may be a case of the league not generating enough cash or overall revenues to accommodate these kinds of requests. On the other hand, if they did have the resources, you'd see within a matter of a couple of years or more the salaries escalating to a point where the diminishing returns put the league right back in a similar position. So it's an issue of affordability on both the player's part and the team's.

On the player's part, particularly in fictional environments, I can understand, or maybe better is rationalize?, the idea of setting for less for a one year. Look, I wanted 20 million over 4 years, but I'll take 3-1/2 for one with the idea that an extension may be more affordable as the system works and I can get a long term deal that way for bigger bucks.

It's a two-way street and at least one direction can use adjustment. My money's on the player end. Understand the league's capital investment ceilings or learn them by the kinds of offers sent your way. If the average offers top out at well below your asking price for a long term deal, then 'learn' long term deals are going to be less available. Ask for less, or better yet, ask for a backloaded configuration. The league may not be fluid now, but your future years might be more dynamic, unless you'll be 34 by then. In that case, league's right. Hit the road or take a lower one year agreement and we'll talk later.

As goes numbers, no data to support, but IMHO 1-6 yeah. 6-12, financial woes and somebody needs to adjust. The solution that seems to be advocated here, although very inadvertently, is that these guys should be getting higher salaries and put on these teams. How? Throw more money into the league's finances? I think the answer is allowing the player- minus Mr. Greed -a broader view of the league's real picture and his place in it. Maybe be more willing to agree to 3 years instead of 9. The one years look more like arbitration buy-outs with extensions we use to avoid them. If the player's treating it like that, then, well, let him wait for his payday. Like I say, mixed feelings. Even 15 guys in a league with 75 top players is not overly-concerning to me as they're still playing. They'll extend or they'll become FA next year and face the same dilemma. The top guy situation that is of most concern to me is the one sitting in AAA making 3.5 mil a year, but that's a whole other situation. FWIW