101-Introduction to the Salary Cap
Section 101 – This section starts with an overview of the Salary Cap and a brief look at its history. It then investigates the components of the Salary Cap by starting with a blank slate – what if the league had no rules? Piece by piece, it looks at the problems that result and the solutions provided by the Salary Cap. It wraps up with a look at the issues that exist today, and how these issues may be addressed as the league likely returns to the negotiating table in 2017.
Section 101 concludes with an interview of an industry executive, talking about the impact of the Salary Cap on their day-to-day jobs, and the importance of learning about the agreement for anyone who wants a job in the league.
201 – Salary Cap Fundamentals: Teams and the Salary Cap
Section 201 – The salary cap through the eyes of the players. This section looks at the Salary Cap from the players’ standpoint, using example players to illustrate Salary Cap concepts. By examining the contract lifecycle of four hypothetical players – high first round pick and star player, lower first round pick and rotation player, second round pick from Europe, and undrafted journeyman – a number of Salary Cap concepts are brought to light and given context. This section finishes with a look at player pay schedules and the league’s escrow system.
Section 201 concludes with a panel discussion with NBA agents, talking about the importance of Salary Cap expertise, how contracts are negotiated and deals get done, which issues matter and which don’t, and the challenges of representing various kinds of players.
301 – Salary Cap Fundamentals: Players and Contracts
Section 301 – The Salary Cap through the eyes of teams. This section looks at the Salary Cap from the teams’ standpoint, by guiding students through a Salary Cap year. We examine how he cap is set, how team salaries work and how teams manage their rosters through exceptions and trades.
Section 301 concludes with a panel discussion with front office executives, talking about the issues that matter from the team’s standpoint, how they manage their rosters and do strategic planning, and the most interesting challenges they face.
401 – Salary Cap Capstone: Strategies and Practical Application
Section 401 – In this practical application section, students put the knowledge they gained to use. Students are broken up into workgroups, each focusing on one team. Each group is paired with an expert who will help that group work through the same sort of analysis that front offices perform when developing their team strategy. This analysis assimilates students’ understanding of basketball with their newly acquired cap and strategic knowledge to develop a strategic and tactical plan for their assigned team. The breakout sessions provide a direct opportunity to work with an industry professional on a significant assignment.
Section 401 concludes with the experts participating in a panel discussion, assessing the students’ analysis and relating it to the work that is done in front offices.
Note: All course content is subject to change.
Leave A Comment