Hoops

Sydney Kings sign Xavier Cooks on multi-year deal

Good luck to Xavier, great guy and very talented, wish him all the best in the NBL and whatever the future holds for him...

Sydney could probably still sign James Harden as a Next Star....

"Are all the afl or NRL teams spending the same amount?"

Technically, NRL teams are. The NRL has a $9.6m salary cap in place (each club has a 30 man squad which must fit under the cap) and clubs aren't allowed to spend over that. Some do, but there are penalties and if its bad enough then things like what happened with the Melbourne Storm being stripped of premiership wins can happen.

Rugby league introduced the salary cap back in the early 90s and its main purpose was to try and stop clubs, especially the less financially sound ones, sending themselves broke trying to buy a premiership. The whole thing was originally designed to level the playing field as no one club could spend millions more for big name players than another, although inevitably despite limits on overall spending its still the bigger, richer and more successful clubs who would attract the better players.

The cap still exists, but its a lot more complicated and harder to police due to things like Third Party Agreements (TPA's - basically players personal sponsors which are included in player contracts, but not the cap itself). And of course, there are always rumours about clubs spending well over the cap and the ways some get around it.

Not sure, I'll just check the official, publicly shared cap rules that don't exist.

Kuany (apparently) also paid out in full.

It’s Carey to you.

Adelaide are not better than their record suggests. They’re excelling if anything.

#192

So basically you’re saying bye to Hawks, Taipans and 36ers then. That makes a 6 team league.

Great plan, will work hugely.


I’m sure that will make it all the more compelling to attract investors - a group of people notorious for short lived ownership.

Long term plan? Perth champions AND wooden spooners every year

Other teams have money. Don’t be dense. Kings willing to spend. End of story.

Sure it dies Kobe. Got to win that recruit over. Kings obviously did.

Newley and Lisch are contracted for next season, Newley has had his best season since returning to nbl, Lisch still injury woes. Kings have so many wing type players, they play a one and five and rest run lanes and all switchable on D. This is a good signing for the future of the kings, certainly if Bogut retires and they need import money for a good five man. Bogut is near irreplaceable no matter what homicide says. The new owners management seem to be trying to build a dynasty, and spreading the age difference out so it doesn’t all go to shit at once, exactly what Bevo set up in Perth and Gleeson has continued on. Kings looking at another massive crowd on Sunday against United so with healthy crowds you would think their money stream is doing very well.

Good management delivers, I’m a neutral but I like what kings are up to.

Sure it dies Kobe. Got to win that recruit over. Kings obviously did.

No it doesn't.

Says as much about the other clubs lack of recruiting, than anything.

Yet people dismissed Bogut's idea to publicise salaries.

I can see why Cooks would prefer to join Sydney. Boomers exposure via Weaver. NBA scout exposure alongside Didi. There is a chance that Didi could be snapped up by the Pelicans soon. The report is a multi-year deal, so there is also a chance that Cooks signed for not much this season, but earning much more next season as players like Newley/Lisch might be not returning. There was also a report in the off-season about Longley giving Bogut advice about not retiring too late to risk body issues, which Bogut might be heeding. Sydney might have eyed Cooks as a marquee replacement for Bogut, to be paid more in the 2020-21 season.

Why would he walk out on his Euro contract to come here for a pittance, regardless of what he's offered for next year? Especially when one of his stated goals was to play in a few different countries just for the travel and to experience different environments.

They pay Cooks little this year and heaps next year is how you get around it.

As others have said it had better work out better than Jois to United.

They don’t :)

The Hawks need a better Coach if they are to achieve.

Melbourne sack Trist last season and brought in Jois when they were travelling on top, that worked out well.

United top six players are on big coin, McCarron was playing in Europe and United out bid them. Casper went to Sydney re lies he was told re salary, yes he got a pay rise but Melbourne have spent more now on Trimble and Long is even more.

Club budget should be where supporters can see, not individual but team budgets.

Why would Cooks want to go to a cellar dwellar like Illawarra even tough his father is the Asst Coach and you have Ball there so is who the one and only you hear about

[
That's a big probably holding that sentence together.]


It's moved from probably to definitely

Probably no longer required

Cooks signs to syd and the people of the hoops forum lose their minds!!

Cooks=everyone who has signed to win a championship

It might just be an Australian thing, but I like my competition to resemble competition.

AFL for instance, yes there are teams that have prolonged success: Geelong, Sydney, Hawthorn; but every club in the last 20 years have enjoyed their fair share of premiership-contending years. With exception to Essendon/Carlton who got done in cheating scandles that scarred them for extended periods (although did enjoy highly successful years prior).

It's not an issue for teams to not be in real contention - that's inevitable, some teams do well some teams won't each season.

But a system which is designed to resign you to the bottom few teams every year with no visible way out? (unlike AFL which has draft and spending isn't an issue)

People are obviously likely to bail. With that, voila, 4 team league. That's absolutely a useless result for everyone.

That's what makes this offseason so critical - we've had 1) very competitive years recently and 2) lots of talent come in which is a wonderful situation for the NBL. However, despite Cairns/Illawarra being relatively competitive over the recent years, they are starting to slide last year, this year. I don't think we can just assume that's an ups and down situation, the haves/have nots situation may just kill them off in 2-3 years.

Anyone know where I can get a Cooks jersey? I want to wear it on Sunday against United. Prefer the yellow. Thanks.

[Illawara going to boo him.]

Oh no. I hope Cooks doesn't read that because he may reconsider if he has not already officially signed.

Sydney was probably already spending more than United but I'm pretty sure this puts an end to the argument

^ What a good samaritan you are

NBL media releases say everything is going well, so teams MUST be making money. Solid logic.

Cooks was the best performed Aussie player abroad last season. Yet now somehow he has been added to an already stacked Kings side in 1st place? I know he wants a title for Sydney but LK has jumped the shark now.

"NBA teams are allowed to spend as much as they want"

This actually isn't true. Once they're over the soft cap they are restricted to paying guys minimum contract deals aside from some exceptions.

The NBL needed success for Melbourne, and got enough success to expand there. The NBL also needs success in Sydney, to gain market and corporate traction.

With Sydney being this strong and the aim is to try and win the championship, whats to stop the lower to middle end club members just cancelling their memberships because they've got no chance at a title? That's terrible for the NBL and those clubs. Yes you still have the passionate fans who go the the game night atmosphere and because they lover their team, but there would be plenty that will double think if they renew their memberships.

Yeah Sydney haven't won the title yet, but they'd need a whole lot to go wrong to bet against them.

You do realize that a cap on the soft cap eliminates it being a soft cap, right? NBA teams are allowed to spend as much as they want, but there is a soft cap and a hard cap. If a team chooses to go over the hard cap, the other 29 teams and their fans don't cry foul, they just pay their luxury tax bill at the end of the year. There are no tears shed about parity or expenses or league handouts from anyone. They are limited in HOW they can acquire additional talent, but technically they don't have to worry about any ceiling except what they impose internally. If the NBL rules don't have a hard cap, then Sydney did nothing wrong.

"Spend more wisely like Cairns or if it's to much money for your club to keep up your club should join the nbl1 series.
Inflation goes up every year every day every minute, would you like inflation to stop so your team can afford players at the same price as 10 years ago?
How do you change things and keep it the same at the same time?"

This theory sounds great. Enjoy your 3-4 team NBL comp.

I'm all for the big spending, but i think there should be some sort of cap on the soft cap, or at least massive taxes (which are released publicly).

Anyone else get a bit of a KD to GSW vibe with this signing?

Obviously not as huge, but it has a bit of that feel to me.

Cairns won't go anywhere near the playoffs so I'm not sure how that argument helps anything.

There is meant to be a bench cap though, that i thought was a hard cap of sorts. Perth arguably need more depth, but you would think the bench cap prevents them splashing the cash, united too. People are outraged because sydney is legitimately say 8 deep when most teams "big spending teams" are 6 deep

Who mentioned F1, or any other governed motor racing organization? All that was said was race car. Could be down at my local, could be street, could be whatever. You cannot call someone stupid by implying something that was not even said as though they said it.

All this talk about Sydney and the jealousy surrounding the team reminds me of this -- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_DtXf0xscI

So many Nursultan Tulyakbay's around here.

Anyone asking for evidence or saying others need to spend more, or saying Kings are spending big clearly has nfi lol.

Even if some estimates of what teams are spending are off, it doesn't take a genius to realise the kings and Melbourne are spending massive money this year, quite possibly the most expensive 2 rosters in NBL history.

And there is no hard cap in the NBL, which makes you look even more stupid. If Sydney want to spend $10m on their roster, they can, as long as they comply by the $400k bench rule.

Melbourne, sports and basketball capital of Australia= GF win to MU recently, MU still strong, second team good first season so far.

Perth, most successful NBL franchise= consistently good crowds over time, healthiest finances of any team.

Sydney, Australia’s biggest city, always struggled for support of NBL teams= better crowds, PR coach for 3 seasons, serious coach and stacked roster now, widely tipped to win GF.

Auckland/NZ, successful club, new ownership, problematic season.

Adelaide= Adelaide, strong history, good crowds, but not at pointy end now.

Cairns and Illawarra= small market clubs, currently both receiving NBL assistance.

The NBL needed success for Melbourne, and got enough success to expand there. The NBL also needs success in Sydney, to gain market and corporate traction.

As long as Sydney don’t end up winning too many, I don’t mind it as it’s for the greater good. The NBL will have success in the 2 most important markets. Better than all the ships going to Australia’s westernmost bogan outpost. Success in the west hasn’t translated to success Australia wide. How involved were the national media in Perth’s successful years, compared to Sydney and Ballawarra now?

I've been all for teams spending big over the soft cap to attract the best talent to the league, even defending the Didi signing to a degree, but this kings team now is just a complete joke. The amount of money pumped into it is ridiculous.

Will be hilarious if they don't win the championship.

lol @ Sixers should have won except for "bent refs". Game 2 and game 4, absolutely ridiculous free throw disparity to even make it a series. Get off the terps mate. If Adelaide were good enough they would have won, and they spend more than most, just on the wrong pieces. They are far from a budget team.

It means that despite my investment, and despite my car being so much faster than yours, I still was not guaranteed success and someone else - maybe even your car - will ultimately achieve the victory. See, the system works. No need for reforms or parity or handouts. Nothing is guaranteed until it is won.

So refute the point. Just because you say it is stupider does not make it so, and it does not prove that it is accurate.

Cairns have a terrific scouting and talent identification team and get bargain imports like Scott Machado and Melo Trimble for peanuts compared to other import guards in the league such as Bryce Cotton and Casper Ware.

Head to head, some games the Cairns guards may outplay their higher fancied opponents. Should Perth or Melbourne then cry because they are paying more for these players and should be reimbursed by the league because there are cheaper options out there which can still put up solid performances, but they are spending more than these other teams? If it works one way, can it also work on the flipside?

Sydney did not break any rules. They decided they could afford to pay Cooks, and they were comfortable doing so. Cooks agreed to the contract, so he knows where he will fit, how many options are around him, and that his numbers and opportunities will not be as high as they would have been elsewhere. There was nothing illegal about it, from Sydney or from Cooks. Stop sooking.

It's brilliant Cooks has signed to the NBL but absolutely bullshit it's with such a star studded roster.

Bogut, Ware, Tate, Lisch, Newley, Louzada, Cooks

Oh man.

"Your racecar is too fast. Either slow your car down, or give me more money so I can throw it at my car, blindly, in the hope of at least keeping pace with you."

Not the way the real competitive world works my friend. As I said, if you cannot keep up, or cannot afford to be competitive, then you shouldn't be owning a team in the NBL. Sell up and go buy one in the Philippines.