Right now, Derrick Rose is an absolute steal for the Chicago Bulls. Thank you, rookie pay scale! The league’s MVP made $5.6 million last season, well below market value, and is due to make just a shade under $7 million next season. Then his rookie deal ends and he’ll get max money (whatever that is in the new system).
And like just about everyone making max money right now, Rose looks back at the pre-cap days and drools. Owners fought hard to institute a maximum salary in 1998 (the last lockout) because they saw what Shaquille O’Neal got, what Kevin Garnett got, and they freaked.
Of course, Rose likes money. Can’t blame him for that. And can’t blame him for wondering just how much he’d be worth on the open market. Which is what he told the Associated Press.
The NFL would love to talk to you about how well paying big money to high draft picks out of college works.
Of course Rose likes the no max salary idea because he’d get paid upwards of $25 million a season. Then again, he’d have nobody else of quality on his team to go around him, because if you think the owners are getting rid of a salary cap all together you have not been watching the talks. Sure, there would be no Miami Heat in that scenario, the stars would be spread around, but would we see better basketball if we just had some stars surrounded by mediocre talent?
Or, maybe that just sounds all too familiar t Rose.
