In 2014, Xiao Hua replaced David Stern as the new president of the NBA, and in order to avoid another shutdown due to labor disputes, Xiao Hua carried out drastic reforms, and its core goal is: make money, make enough money!
In order to maximize the commercial value of the game, Xiao Hua chose to cooperate with a number of companies externally, relying on franchise, broadcasting, dividends and other expenses to make a lot of money, but the integration of various off-field factors made the "purity" of the game seriously decline. Internally, Xiao Hua adopted a traffic-based strategy, tacitly acquiescing to the phenomenon of superstars who were despised by stars and fans in the last century, which led to the attribution of the current championship and gradually evolved into the boss's "burning money" game.
What happened to the eight teams that paid the luxury tax this season:
VIII. 76ers ($9.83 million in luxury tax)
Players with annual salaries of more than $10 million this season:
HARRIS: $36 million
Simmons: $33 million
Embiid: $31.58 million
Danny Green: $10 million
Last season, the 76ers, as the Eastern Conference regular season champion, accidentally "overturned the ship in the gutter" in the Series of Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Hawks, and the team's backcourt offensive and defensive core Simmons gave up the offense at a critical moment, the free throw shooting rate (34.2%) hit a new low in NBA history, becoming the object of fan, coach and media bombardment, and the criticism of the sky made his self-esteem impacted, and then he chose to break with the team and refused to play for the home team.
At the beginning of the season, the 76ers did not have Simmons's strategizing in the backcourt, and at one point they struggled very hard, coupled with Embiid accidentally infected with the new crown and missed dozens of games, which caused the team's record to fall below the top eight in the East.
Fortunately, the "Emperor" made a strong comeback in the middle of the season, and has contributed 17 30+10 performances so far in the season, second only to the "Greek Monster" alphabet brother 18 times, bringing the team's record back on track in time, and the current 76ers are only 2.5 wins away from the Heat, the first team in the East.
Towards the mid-season deal deadline, a deal for Simmons has been pending, with teams like the Kings, Hornets, Trail Blazers, and Hawks all making offers but failing to meet 76 management requirements.
Given that the 76ers are already peddling the team's small forward Harris, if Simmons fails to leave the team before the trade deadline, the probability of him swapping owners with Harden in this summer's offseason is very high, which is undoubtedly a win-win deal from the current situation of the two teams.
At present, the primary goal of the Philadelphia 76 team is to help Embiid get the regular season MVP, last season due to the lack of appearances unfortunately lost to the full-time Jokic, this season his biggest competitors replaced by alphabet brothers, Jokic and Curry, as long as the team's record can advance to the top three in the East, the "Emperor" averages 29.4 points, 10.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.5 blocks per game Is still very convincing.
7. Pelicans (luxury tax $10.78 million)
Stars with annual salaries of more than $10 million this season:
McCollum: $30.86 million
Ingram: $29.47 million
Valanciunas: $14 million
Graham: $11 million
Zion Williamson: $10.73 million
Nance Jr.: $10.52 million
In the 13-21 season, the Portland Blazers entered the playoffs for eight consecutive years, but never broke through the West, which gradually disappointed the home fans. This season's core Lillard suffered from abdominal injuries, the team's record has been all the way down to 11th place in the West, and the poor record finally made the team management make up their minds and choose a large-scale trade with the Pelicans:
The Blazers sent McCollum, Nance Jr., Snell to Hart, Alexander Walker, Satoransky, Silva, a 2022 protected first-round pick, a 2026 second-round pick and a 2027 second-round pick.
This deal confirms that the Blazers will officially rebuild the team around Lillard, and the Pelicans, who have been in the "fish belly" ranks for many years, can also be regarded as having a low-end version of Zion, Ingram, and McClem, and have the qualification to compete for the playoffs.
Note: The team currently has the tenth best record in the West, and because of the playoffs (regular season record 7-10), the Pelicans still have playoff hopes.
Looking back at the Blazers' deal with the Pelicans, Portland got the draft picks and some good ready-to-play players as they wished, laying the groundwork for a rebuild. The Pelicans are targeted reinforcements, Nance Jr. can replace Zion (injured), McCollum can share the offensive pressure of Ingram, and when Zion Williamson returns, the Pelicans' record is worth the expectations of fans.
6. Jazz ($27.9 million in luxury taxes)
Gobert: $35.34 million
Mitchell: $28.1 million
Mike Conley: $21 million
Bogdanovic: $18.7 million
Ingles: $13.04 million
Clarkson: $12.4 million
Under the leadership of Snyder's head coach, the Jazz team has created a set of "one inside four shots" system with high offensive efficiency in the small-ball era, with Gobert, who is 2.16 meters tall, guarding the inside line, and the outside line is matched with stable three-point shooters such as Mitchell, Bogdanovic, Conley, O'Neal, etc. In the regular season, the defensive intensity is not high, and the record is greatly guaranteed.
As a veritable small-ball city in the league, the Jazz can be said to have spent all the money on the blade, except for the two top salaries given to the core of the team, Gobert and Mitchell, the remaining salaries are basically distributed according to ability, which not only controls the team's luxury tax, but also makes the team's lineup depth and vitality in the forefront of the league.
In addition to the above six main players with annual salaries of more than 10 million, the Jazz also have Rudy Gay, O'Neal, Whiteside, Pascal and other players with good strength, in the system of Snyder's militarized management, the players perform their respective duties, forming a situation where "weak teams do not lose, and strong teams open 55".
This season, the Jazz are the top players in the league in terms of points per game and offensive efficiency, and the defense they have been proud of in previous seasons has fallen out of the league's top ten, which may be the main reason why the record is currently only fourth in the West.
With the team's main striker Ingalls tearing his cruciate ligament in his knee and expecting season reimbursement, the Jazz, who aspire to win the championship, began a new round of reinforcement work, and Rockets guard Eric Gordon is currently locked as the first candidate.
5. Lakers (luxury tax $41.77 million)
Westbrook: $44.21 million
James: $41.18 million
Thick Eyebrows: $35.36 million
To ask which teams are the most critical in the league, the Lakers, Celtics, and Rockets must be among the best, perhaps the reason why the owners of the three teams are not rich personally, in the previous season, the basic principle of team reinforcement is to save and save, and paying additional luxury taxes is not acceptable.
In last year's offseason, in order to make full use of James's few high-level moments left, the Lakers management, who has always cut the goal, chose to reach a deal with the Wizards, taking three main players as chips and getting the "historical triple-double king" Wei Shao, who earned an annual salary of up to $44.21 million.
In order to fill the team roster and control the amount of luxury tax as much as possible, the team's remaining reinforcement contract can only be the basic salary of the veteran, which has formed a "sunset red" lineup that is complained about by fans. Even so, the Lakers' luxury tax this season has exceeded $40 million, a record high.
High investment does not necessarily have high returns, the serious decline in physical fitness of Wei Shao has not yet been integrated into the team, James and thick eyebrows have suffered consecutive injuries and disrupted the tactical arrangement of head coach Vogel, which has led to the Lakers' current record of only 26 wins and 29 losses, ranking ninth in the West, with a winning rate of less than 50%, so that the purple and gold giants have withdrawn from the championship competition.
What is more heartfelt is that the current Lakers management is eager to change, and is also actively seeking a deal with Westbrook, but the annual salary of more than $44 million and poor competitive status make all teams prohibitive, and the only reinforcement chips that the Lakers can get at the moment are Tucker Jr. and the first-round pick in 2027, and the response in the free market is mediocre. As for the Lakers fans' eagerly awaited swap between Westbrook and Wall again, there is no reason for the Rockets management, which has already torn down the rebuild, to complete the deal.
4. Bucks (luxury tax $46.53 million)
Alphabet Brother: $39.34 million
Middleton: $35.5 million
Holliday: $32.43 million
Lopez Grand: $13.3 million
In the recent Game of bucks against the Lakers, six All-Stars gathered together, and the Lakers' big three were in an overwhelming advantage, but the Bucks on the court were completely better than the Lakers. This focus battle has almost become a stage for Alphabet Brother alone, he shot 17 of 20, cut 44 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 blocks, played efficiently to match the "Elder God" Oxlade-Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar, and also turned the Lakers' restricted area into his own back garden.
This game is like a microcosm of the Bucks' season, the individual ability of the alphabet brother can not be limited, Milderton's unpretentious shooting lethality is amazing, Holliday as the team's master of control, four or two thousand pounds of assists and individual defensive ability to make the Bucks play more like a whole. Compared with the Phoenix Suns, which currently have the first record, the Bucks are better in terms of lineup depth and star play.
So far this season, Alphabet Brother can average 29.2 points, 11.3 rebounds, 6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game, and the Bucks currently rank second in the East, with only 0.5 wins between them and the first-ranked Heat.
At present, his competitors Jokic and Embiid have led the team to a slightly worse performance, Curry's personal performance has recently declined seriously, as long as the alphabet brother can continue his current state, he will most likely lift the MVP trophy for the third time in his career.
As the lowest-key combination of the Bucks, the surprises brought to the fans have never stopped: the alphabet brother, as the internal "big killer", has been continuously improving in the past two seasons, developing new skills such as back-turn jump shots and throwing; Middleton's stable mid-range and three-point shooting is still the key to the Bucks; last season's new signing Holliday, as the core of the team's backcourt, ensured that the Bucks can break the wrist with the top strong teams.
Nets ($110.3 million in luxury taxes)
Harden: $44.31 million
Durant: $42.02 million
Owen: $35.33 million
Joe Harris: $17.36 million
In the past two seasons, injuries seem to be entangled with the Brooklyn Nets, and last year's Eastern Conference semifinals suffered from injuries and injuries, and the lone Durant regrettably lost to the Bucks.
Joe Harris has been absent for three months with an ankle injury this season and is currently preparing for a second surgery; Durant has missed dozens of games after being injured by a teammate, causing a strained medial ligament in his left leg; and Harden has also suffered minor injuries and has recently been in a truce.
In this case, the uneven Nets suffered a wave of nine consecutive losses, slipping to the eighth place in the East, during which there were many games that were easily won by opponents by more than 20 points, and the Brooklyn Nets were not even a strong team with Irving and Harden alone. This wave of losing streaks made the team management realize the seriousness of the problem and eager to strengthen the team, in addition to Harden and Simmons swap plan, Joe Harris was also put on the shelf.
Even if the big three return healthily, the nets' lineup this season is still not likely to compete for the championship, the team only has Aldridge and Clarkston in the inner line, and the disadvantages against the Bucks, Heat and other teams in the playoffs are very obvious. Coupled with the fact that Irving can only attend away games, the strength of the Big Three on the court has been "75% off", the role players are only trusted by Mills and Aldridge, and the Nets' lineup depth can be said to be very poor.
Since Tsai Chongxin took over the Nets in 2019, he has spent a lot of money to sign three top stars, the purpose is to emulate the Warriors to increase the market value of the team by winning the championship, but three seasons have passed, the team's situation is a chicken feather, winning the championship has become a luxury, and the high luxury tax makes this emerging team that has not yet risen is about to face dissolution.
Clippers ($113 million in luxury taxes)
Paul George: $39.34 million
Leonard: $39.34 million
Morris Jr.: $15.63 million
Powell: $15.52 million
Kennard: $13.35 million
Covington: $12.98 million
Reggie Jackson: $10.38 million
Clippers owner Ballmer, one of the richest owners in the NBA, is personally worth more than $100 billion, enough to buy the entire NBA league. Unlike the investment philosophy of Nets owner Cai Chongxin, Ballmer bought the Clippers more out of personal preference, in every Clippers home game, the broadcast camera can always give the 60-year-old man a passionate shout on the sidelines, he and lone ranger boss Cuban, for basketball is from the bottom of the heart.
As the richest owner in the NBA, Ballmer is also unambiguous in spending money, building new stadiums for the Clippers out of his own pocket, and signing George, Leonard and a number of powerful players without considering luxury taxes. After two seasons of running-in, the Clippers are firmly in the forefront of the West, if it were not for Leonard's sudden injury in the Western Conference semifinals last season, the ownership of the championship would still be a lot of suspense.
The Clippers have still not been able to get rid of injuries this season, Leonard has been suspended due to injury, and Paul George, who was diagnosed with a torn ulnar ligament in his elbow at the end of December last year, has missed 24 games and will be on a suspension for at least a month. With the absence of the two cores due to injury, the Clippers are still in the eighth place in the West, and the coaching ability of head coach Tyren Lu is commendable.
At present, the situation of the Clippers is a bit embarrassing, if Leonard and Paul George only one person can make a healthy comeback, then the team still does not have the strength to compete for the championship, even if it enters the playoffs, it is at most a second round; if you choose to swing for a high pick now, the team can only cultivate a young player mann, and the training effect is not significant. What the Clippers decide next, let's wait and see!
Warriors ($170.3 million in luxury taxes)
Stars with annual salaries of more than $10 million this season:
Curry: $45.78 million
Klay Thompson: $37.98 million
Wiggins: $31.58 million
Dream Green: $24.03 million
In this season's All-Star selection, three members of the Golden State Warriors were selected, including Curry and Wiggins in the Western Conference starting lineup, Dream Green was selected as a substitute by the 30 team coach (replaced by spurs' little Murray due to injury), and the three of them won this highly gold award at the same time, which is enough to show how amazing the Warriors have performed this season.
From last season's non-playoff team to the second-best record in the league today, the Warriors have completed the metamorphosis in just one summer, with four base-salary contracts signing players worth the money: Otto Porter, the league's premium 3D player; Bjelica, a space forward who can pass and shoot; Iguodala, the core of playoff defense; and Payton II, one of the most underrated backcourt defenders.
So far this season, the Warriors' defensive efficiency has reached 103.4, ranking first in the league, averaging 14.6 three-pointers per game, 60.1% from the inside, 42.9% from the limit opponent's shooting, and 33% from the opponent's three-point shooting rate, which also ranks first in the league. Efficient defense combined with accurate three-pointers has been the key to the Warriors' winning rate of more than 75 percent, and the recent wave of nine consecutive wins has also boosted the morale of the team.
Write at the end:
Now the league is in the number of stars to determine the odds of winning the championship, high investment does not necessarily have a good record return, but there will be a luxury tax "reward". Teams like the Warriors and Bucks are undoubtedly teams with unique visions, with luxury taxes being directly proportional to the odds of winning the championship, while the Lakers and Nets' poor selection of people make themselves in a very passive position.