The NBA season is set to begin in less than a month as teams are entering their respective training camps next week. The NBA has seen a lot of changes this offseason with numerous top-tier NBA stars changing teams. Next season, we will also see new in-game rules in relation to timeouts to improve game flow. The NBA will also feature a new player friendly schedule next season to lessen resting of players. Here are a few updates on the NBA free agency:
Despite revenue sharing, NBA teams lose money
The NBA has been very profitable, we can see that with the huge increase in salaries of NBA players the past few offseasons.
But despite this, it seems like a few NBA teams are still losing even after the revenue sharing by the NBA. Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN has reported that nine teams have lost money last season. These teams are the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Milwaukee Bucks, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, and the Orlando Magic. Teams that took a loss last year all came from relatively small markets. Before the revenue sharing payments 30 teams took a loss, but after the revenue share it came down to nine.
One owner told ESPN that a small market has to work hard and run its team better to profit yet a team with a big market can run their team poorly but yet still earn.
It seems like there are rumors that the NBA is looking into why these teams are losing and could possibly now talk about team relocation.
Dante Cunningham signs with Pelicans
The new orleans Pelicans are doing their best to compete in the Western Conference next season. This offseason they added a former top-tier NBA point guard in Rajon Rondo to facilitate the DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis combo for next season.
They do have some setbacks with Solomon Hill being injured, now the Pelicans shift into finding a wing player to replace him. Shams Charania of The Vertical has reported that the New Orleans Pelicans has signed Dante Cunningham to a one year 2.3 million deal this offseason. Cunningham also thought about signing with the Minnesota TImberwolves but later on decided to play for the Pelicans next season.
Cunningham entered the NBA in the offseason of 2009 where he was drafted with the 33d overall pick by the Portland Trailblazers. He played two and half season for Portland, two years in Minnesota and will enter his fourth year as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.