Categories
Headline NFL Teams Sports Business

The NBA: You Have To Pay To Play

Are you surprised that both of the teams that look like they will be playing each other in the NBA finals are at numbers 1 and 3 on the NBA team payroll list?  The Los Angeles Lakers top the list with a payroll of $91.4 million while the Boston Celtics paid their players $86.5 million this year.  So maybe we shouldn’t be so surprised that the Celtics, an “underdog” in this year’s playoffs, has knocked off the #1 seeded Cleveland Caveliers (#5 payroll at $84.5 million) and are in a nice position to upset the #2 seeded Orlando Magic (#6 payroll at $82.1 million).

According to the money, our money should be on the Celtics.  And in the Finals, our money should be on the Lakers.  But more importantly than that, it is necessary to realize that three out of the four teams left in the playoffs are in the top 6 in payroll.  The Phoenix Suns are sitting at #9 (payroll $74.9 million).  And last round, 7 of the 8 teams left in the playoffs were in the top 10 in payroll, with only the Atlanta Hawks as the major surprise with the #22 payroll of $65.9 million.

What does this tell us other than the fact that Al Horford is a miracle worker?  That if you want to win in the NBA, you better put your money where your mouth is.  This should quiet everyone who complains that the MLB isn’t fair due to the lack of a salary cap.  The NBA has a cap (albeit a soft one), yet does the playoff landscape say anything of competitive balance?  What it says is that teams that want to win better be willing to pay talented players what they are worth.

Out of the top 10 spenders in the NBA, 9 of the teams made the playoffs (the New York Knicks being the odd team out).  16 out of 30 teams make the playoffs.  Out of the bottom 10 spenders, 7 of them were left out of the playoffs (the Portland Trailblazers, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the aforementioned Hawks being the exceptions).

By Darren Heitner

Darren Adam Heitner, Esq., is a preeminent sports attorney and the founder of Heitner Legal, P.L.L.C., a Fort Lauderdale-based law firm specializing in sports law, contract negotiations, intellectual property, and arbitration. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2010 and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, magna cum laude, from the University of Florida in 2007, where he was named Valedictorian of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. Admitted to practice in the state bars of Florida, New York, and the District of Columbia, as well as multiple federal courts, Darren also serves as a certified arbitrator with the American Arbitration Association.

As an adjunct professor, Darren imparts his expertise through teaching Sports Law at the University of Florida Levin College of Law and Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) at the University of Miami School of Law in the Entertainment, Arts, and Sports Law LL.M. program. His scholarly contributions include authoring several books published by the American Bar Association, such as How to Play the Game: What Every Sports Attorney Needs to Know, and numerous articles in prominent publications like Forbes, Inc. Magazine, and Above the Law. His thought leadership in NIL has earned him recognition as one of the foremost experts by The Wall Street Journal, USA TODAY, and On3, and he has been lauded as a “power player in NIL deals” by Action Network and a “top sports trademark attorney” by Sportico.

Darren’s passion for sports law led him to establish Sports Agent Blog on December 31, 2005, initially titled “I Want To Be A Sports Agent.” The platform, created as a New Year’s resolution, has grown into a cornerstone of the sports agency community, offering in-depth analysis of industry trends, legal disputes, and agent-player dynamics. His commitment to the field is further evidenced by his representation of numerous athletes and sports agents, as well as his prior role as an Adjunct Professor at Indiana University Bloomington, where he developed and taught a course on Sport Agency Management from 2011 to 2014.

Darren’s contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors, including the University of Florida’s 40 Under 40 Award, the University of Florida Levin College of Law’s Outstanding Young Alumnus Award, and designation as the best lawyer in Fort Lauderdale by Fort Lauderdale Magazine. He remains an active voice in the sports law community, sharing insights through his weekly NIL newsletter and his X posts, engaging a broad audience on legal developments in sports.