REALGM: Atlanta's Inactivity Could Lead To Johnson's Departure

[spotatl]

Its perfectly understandable to not pay the luxury tax when you don't have a championship contender. The problem is that you can't really expect the team to be a championship contender without being willing to pay the luxury tax.

[niremetal]

Its perfectly understandable to not pay the luxury tax when you don't have a championship contender. The problem is that you can't really expect the team to be a championship contender without being willing to pay the luxury tax.

Which again, is a load of crap, because all the teams I mentioned didn't pay the tax until AFTER they made it to the Conference Finals (Mavs) or NBA Finals (Pistons, Heat, Cavs, Magic). So clearly, you can be a contender without paying the tax. It's a tougher road, but it's the road ALL teams not from NY, LA, or Boston take.

Edited February 19, 2010 by niremetal

[spotatl]

Are you somehow under the impression the magic didn't pay the luxury tax last season? They weren't contenders until they decided to pay the tax.

Boston didn't contend until they were willing to pay the tax.

The Mavs have been paying the tax for a long time.

The Heat paid the tax the year they won the finals.

You CAN be a contender without paying the tax. I don't think you can EXPECT to be a contender without doing so when so many other teams are willing.

[niremetal]

Are you somehow under the impression the magic didn't pay the luxury tax last season? They weren't contenders until they decided to pay the tax.

Boston didn't contend until they were willing to pay the tax.

The Mavs have been paying the tax for a long time.

The Heat paid the tax the year they won the finals.

You CAN be a contender without paying the tax. I don't think you can EXPECT to be a contender without doing so when so many other teams are willing.

The Magic did NOT pay the tax last season, or in the 2 years before that. They only paid the tax in '05-'06 because the new CBA changed the tax rules; under the previous set of rules, Kelvin Cato's contract would not have counted against their tax figure. It was actually only AFTER they dumped salary and got below the tax threshold that they posted a winning record.

Boston, like LA and NY, has paid the tax even in years when they weren't contenders early in the decade. That is because those three teams earn lots of revenue even when the teams suck because they have large, intensely loyal followings nationwide.

The Mavs did NOT pay the tax until after they made the WCF in 2003.

The Heat paid the tax the year AFTER they won the Finals.

Edited February 19, 2010 by niremetal