Hoops

Tigers still under salary cap cloud

Kent, I don't have a problem with external employment and earning additional income that way. I did it myself, worked in 2 jobs at the same time. What I do have a problem with is the additional income coming from the same owner who pays his players under the NBL salary cap. For some mysterious reason, if not a breach of salary cap, Melbourne has managed to recruit an enormously talented team. Why doesn't every teams roster look as expensive as Melbourne's? You don't have to play for Melbourne to enjoy an additional income from an external employer. What encouraged the cream of Australia's basketball talent to flock to Melbourne?

Its pretty clear that the NBL doesn't have the money to police the salary cap, and probably never has done. It's a shame, because I like the concept of a cap, but there is just no point having one unless you can police it.

Like Kent says, you have to be able to view every players tax return and be able to compel them to explain where certain income is from. Not going to happen when the NBL can barely seem to afford a marketing budget, let alone find money to employ auditors each year.

I say scrap the cap!

Anon2, that's illegal according to NBL rules and therefore it doesn't matter where his income comes from, that is a breach of salary cap. A level playing field only exists where players are paid within the salary cap and nothing else. A salary cap means absolutely nothing if income can be obtained from other means, particularly when paid in house by the owner.

"And they say they got him at a bargain price because their's was the last import job going in the league"

The Tigers speaking of Ere. What's different about what they are paying Ere. Everyone of their players had to be obtained at a bargain price to fit under the salary cap. When you divide up the salary cap amongst all the Tigers, they have to be playing for a price that every team in the league could afford atleast one or two of them and even pay more. How do the Tigers recruit all of them legitametly? As I said before, none of us are privy to what these players are earning but you just have to do the sums. How else do you get a team that stands out so far ahead of every other team while they are adhering to the same salary cap?

31 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in his first game as a Tiger. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for.