Innovation. Authenticity. Engagement.
These are the 3 themes that MyLeague/MyGM is being built around according to the dev team. These are of course music to my ears because as detailed obsessed as I am, I have spent the last 3 years doing anything I can to help 2k, whether it be the roster team or the MyLeague/GM team, achieve the most authentic experience possible. This post, like the monster I posted last year, is aimed at helping the team add missing rules or correct errors when it comes to the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement and Player Contracts.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement is something that I believe all hardcore NBA fans should begin to understand. And I think NBA 2K should help educate users who don't. The ability to differentiate ESPN speculation and fiction from financial reality is something I don't take for granted. Users of MyLeague and MyGM modes should experience those realities as they choose these modes to do just that, to take the reins of their favorite (or all 30 as in my case and many more like me) franchise. The developers know we are the ones who play these modes, and I'm thrilled that the team takes pride in adding such little details that we'd appreciate like Actual Salaries and Dead Money. However, while the casual fan goes straight to MyCareer and MyPark, they may also wonder why Kevin Durant doesn't resign with Golden State in their MyCareer.
With that said, I again would strongly advocate a guide of sorts like MLB the Show uses to help it's players who may feel overwhelmed. Expand upon the small "Finance Help" that currently only gives a quick overview on the salary cap and the luxury tax.
Post #1:
Contains an extensive list and explanation of many missing features/rules or incorrect rules in NBA 2k17's MyLeague/GM modes. This is both a list of hopeful corrections in another patch as well as a wishlist for 2k18. (I'll post this in Dave's thread as well once he starts it.)
Post #2:
Contains all individual player contracts' corrections needed. These include contract numbers for both Cap Hits and Actual Salaries, missing extentions, options, original contract length, bird years, free agent type (UFA or RFA, and missing dead money. The widespread issue that I describe below in post #1 with incorrect Veteran's Minimum rules and numbers contributed to many of these corrections. If the issue is patched, it would save a lot of individual corrections on Mike Stauffer's part. Also, for the sake of shortening the correction list, I only included corrections that directly impact a player's free agency or extention eligibility when it comes to Bird Years and Original Contract Length. For example if a player is on a 3 year contract with no options, it doesn't matter what his bird years are as he'll be a Bird Free Agent at the end of the contract regardless. Lastly, when it comes to dead money, I didn't include anything under $100k.
At the beginning of post #2, I posted corresponding notes for many repetitive corrections so as to not type out an explanation for each player.
Theses corrections have already been sent to Stauff with the hopes that he can make these corrections as soon as possible in a Roster Update. These are vital to the experience as they directly impact what a user can and can't do. I will update the list as he hopefully makes corrections as well as after any player movement.
Feel free to discuss and post any feedback!
Refer back to Larry Coon's amazing work here about CBA rules:
http://www.cbafaq.com/salarycap.htm
Early Bird and Non-Bird Rights-
In any game mode, view any player card screen on the contract tab and you'll see these words:
"3 Bird Years are required before a team can go over the salary cap to re-sign a player."
This is simply inaccurate.
Bird Rights are not as simple as "Yes" or "No" in the free agency screen in the offseason.
Every player in the NBA that finished the season on a roster, whether it was for the full year or last month, has a form of bird rights allowing that same team to exceed the cap to resign them.
Full Bird Rights (the 3 year version that 2k recognizes) work just fine (assuming Bird Years are assigned properly in the roster which they are not). Early and Non Bird Rights are ignored even though they DO exist under the hood in 2k!
- Non Bird Free Agent-
Player with 1 year (simply ending the season on a roster gives you 1 year) of bird rights at season's end. Team is able to exceed the cap to sign him up to 120% of his previous salary (not more than the maximum obviously), 120% of the minimum salary, or the amount to offer a qualifying offer if they are a RFA. Length is limited to 1-4 years with 4.5% raises of the first year salary.
- Early Bird Free Agent-
Player with 2 years of bird rights at season's end. Team is able to exceed the cap to sign him up to 175% of his previous salary (not more than the maximum) or 104.5% of the average salary from the previous season. Length must be at least 2 years (but can include an option as LeBron's did last summer) and up to 4 years with 7.5% raises of the first year salary.
The only things missing under the hood in 2k from what I just listed are the 7.5% raises for Early Birds and the minimum of 2 years requirement.
However, while non-bird and early bird OFFERS exist in the game, you cannot exceed the cap to use them as teams can in reality.
Say I have limited cap space as a team. If I try to offer another team's free agent a contract it will only allow me to offer the remaining cap space I have. If I negotiate with a player such as Durant, their demanded salary will appear in red, indicating I can't offer that much. This is all accurate.
However, when I negotiate with one of my own free agents who has 2 years of bird rights after the season making him an early bird qualifyer, I can actually offer up to 175% of his previous salary, (but again missing the 7.5% raises and 2 year contract length minimum though).
But when I go to sign the player in the pending offers screen, it says I do not have enough cap room.
Take Kevin Durant for example who will have 1 Bird Year at the end of this year. Say during the season as a Warriors user, you decided to extend Curry for 3 years rather than risk him not being interested in resigning in the offseason, not that this is what will happen in real life of course. You also trade for more salary, essentially capping out the Warriors. While, as GSW, you can offer him a non-bird salary (which exceeds the cap but still will be in white lettering rather than red, indicating you're aloud to do that) you can't complete the signing once he accepts it. This is why LeBron never stayed in Cleveland in 2k16 or in 2k17 if you start in the offseason unless he accepts his Player Option.
Because of the spiked cap, there aren't as many star player examples of this as there were last year (or 2k17's Start in Offseason option) with LeBron and Pau Gasol. Since it affected LeBron, many people complained last year not understanding why they couldn't replicate what Cleveland was able to do in real life.
This year, the biggest example is Greg Monroe who is an Early Bird FA (Non-Bird since his Bird Years are incorrectly assigned) if he opts out. But as Milwaukee, you won't be able to resign him if you're too close to the cap, even though you will be able to offer him an Non-Bird Contract technically. You aren't able to resign Mason Plumlee in Portland either, as he incorrectly only has 2 year of Bird rights at season's end. In reality though, he should have full Bird rights.
It's great that the dev team has the salary structure rules in place to at least make the offer according to non Bird and early Bird free agents, which means most of the rules (minus the 7.5% raises and 2 year contract length minimum for Early Birds) are in place. So not being able to exceed the cap to confirm these signings is an oversight that I had hoped would be an easy fix for 2k17, especially since so many were outspoken about their difficulties resigning LeBron last year.
**see question 25 in FAQ for reference**
Minimum Contracts-
Correct Minimum Contracts was a much welcomed advertisement prior to 2k17's launch. However, there were many errors in it's implementation. These errors alone are responsible for 65 of the original 179 players I posted contract corrections for on Oct. 23 below in post #2. I made a separate thread a few weeks ago detailing what went wrong in the hopes that posting about it sooner (rather than wait until I finished testing the rest of these issues) would allow the team to possibly correct some things in a patch. This would save Mike Stauffer the need for as many player contract changes as like I said, so many inaccuracies were simply due to the minimum contract rules having some errors.
Rather than make this post longer, here is the thread explaining those issues:
http://www.operationsports.com/forum...ect-rules.html
Also, at the top of post #2, you'll see those missing rules in the first 4 notes.
**See question 16 in FAQ for reference as well as complete scale through 2020-2021 season**
"Hard Cap"-
The Hard Cap should be removed as there is no such thing as a hard cap as 2k defines it.
The only time a team is "hard capped" is when a team uses an exception that they would not be able to use if they were above the tax apron.
Example: A team who is over the cap but under the tax apron uses their full mid level exception (non-taxpayer). They are now not able to exceed the tax apron under any circumstances unless they cut payroll. (I'll elaborate on this in the Contract Types section).
**see question 28 in FAQ for reference**
Extentions-
When I saw this in the MyLeague Blog pre-launch..
..I was excited and assumed it meant rookie extentions were correctly added. Well this unfortunately was not the case, as the Rose Rule was not, after all, added for Rookie Scale Extentions. This has thus far been the only time they are used in the NBA (although they technically can happen via re-signing a Bird Free Agent with 6 years experience or less). As I've said before and I'll say again, I don't believe the MyLeague/MyGM team specifically half asses anything. Like the Vet's minimum, trade rules, etc, I simply think it's a matter of not fully understanding the rules. Which is OK, as many don't, but allow me to help:
Only veteran extentions currently exist in game. While 2k partially has the rule right of when players are eligible for extentions, (if the original contract was 4 years in length) you can only sign them to veteran extentions (max of 3 years). I say partially because the rule about when an extention can be signed is 3 years after the contract was signed or extended. For an original 4 year deal this comes out to the same result, but a player with a 5 year deal could sign an extention with 2 years remaining on his current deal.
Also, 1st round pick rookie deals can be extended between the start of free agency up until Oct 31 (or the first business day after Oct 31) and veterans can be extended all the way up until June 30. In 2k, the deadline for everyone is the last day of February.
*On that note, teams must accept or decline rookie team options for the following season before Oct 31 as well.
If we're using a calender, let's use it! *
Players in the 4th year of their rookie deals who were 1st round picks can be extended for 4 years, or 5 if they are the team's Designated 5th Year Player (designated 5th year players must include 7.5% raises and be for the maximum salary). Teams can only have one of these players under contract at a time and can only trade for an additional one.
Players who have 0-6 years experience can qualify for a 30% of the cap max 5 year deal rather than 25% if they win MVP, make the AllStar game as a starter twice, or make an All NBA team twice while on their rookie contract. This is the Rose Rule and only applies to rookie extentions (of first round picks being Designated 5th Year Players) and full 5 year max bird deals.
The salary numbers aren't filled in until the cap is determined for the first year of the extention. Therefore, players' numbers should change in 2017-2018 to reflect the change in salary cap if they were extended using this exception. Since this is a video game and we can know the cap a year in advance, this shouldn't be a problem.
Also, players who negotiate a 5 year 25% max deal but who say, win MVP in their 4th year of the rookie deal after already signing the extention, should see their numbers changed to a 30% max, and visa versa if they DON'T meet the 30% criteria).
*Note that maximum salaries are based on a different percentage of BRI than that which is used to determine the salary cap. Which is why in real life, a maximum 25% salary is actually less than 25% of the cap. We'd need to have BRI numbers calculated in 2k to replicate this and this shouldn't be a high priority compared to other issues*
**see questions 13 and 16 in FAQ for setting the salary cap and maximum salaries**
**see question 60 in FAQ for reference on extentions**
Non-Guaranteed Contracts-
2k doesn't have to go crazy with guarantee dates including $100k guaranteed if not waived before this day, then 50% guaranteed if not waived on that day, then fully guaranteed if not waived before this day.
However it is necessary that some form of non-guarantees exist since we can now have 20 players on the roster during the offseason and is especially necessary if 2k implents the correct "hard cap" rules that I detailed above. I would suggest offering 100%, 50% and 0% guaranteed when negotiating with a free agent. For multi year deals, you need to be able to assign each year's guarantee level. However, if one season is say, 50% guaranteed, then no subsequent season can be more than 50% guaranteed.
*Note that all contracts become fully guaranteed on January 10. *
**see question 64 in FAQ for more details and reference**
Stretch Provision-
Like non-guaranteed contracts, the Stretch Provision is necessary when waiving players whether to create roster room or team salary relief, in this case with guaranteed contracts.
If the player is waived between the start of free agency and Sep 1, then his contract (guaranteed money) is divided over twice the remaining years plus 1. So a 3 year deal is evenly divided over 7 years.
If waived during the season (from Sep 1 to June 30), then the current year is paid in full and the remaining years are divided over twice the remaining years plus 1. So that same 3 year contract, if the team waits until the season starts, has the current season paid in full, and the remaining 2 years are diveded over 5 years. This is why Kevin Garnett and Mo Williams won't be stretched. This is not applied correctly in 2k, if you release Chris Bosh at any time, you're only on the hook for $12.64m this year (and each year thereafter).
Teams can choose whether or not they want to use this. In 2k17 they added "dead money" on the contracts page screen, but as a user you have no control of whether you want them stretched or not. The Heat are NOT going to stretch the 2 years remaining after this year on Bosh's contract if they are indeed forced to eat it.
*A quick note about waivers, in 2k, it takes I think 2 to 3 weeks for a player to clear waivers. In reality, this should only take 2 days. 2k's pop up message when you release a player even mentions 2 days. *
**see questions 65 and 66 in the FAQ for more details and reference**
Cap Holds-
This is the one major thing in free agency that people on average probably know the least about. However, they are actually not too complicated, as they have pretty straight forward rules.
IMO allowing users to cheat their way to building their roster by not having to worry about when they sign their Bird free agents isn't sim or authentic.
Having cap holds would prevent players from circumventing the rules by signing all the free agents they want, then signing all their bird free agents. I for one, am all for educating users on intelligently contructing their team, just as their favorite team has to do in real life. This
should be a challenge. Teams are constantly forced to make tough choices.
I would keep it this way though until Early and Non-Bird Rights are corrected as this is the most useful workaround.
To get under the cap, users must choose who they want to renounce, as well as their cap exceptions (if a team did not renounce their non taxpayer MLE for example this past summer then that's $5.63m that's counting against their cap).
If 2k just adds free agent cap holds, without including exception cap holds and draft rights holds, that would be an acceptable and necessary first step. But I think free agent cap holds are a must.
They are determined as follows:
- Any free agent who made the minimum has a cap hold for the amount of the minimum that is not reimbursed by the league for that upcoming season. (So for example, a free agent who has 2-10+ years experience who made $980k this season, has a cap hold of $1.01m).
- A free agent with full Bird rights who made at least the average salary has a cap hold of 150% of his previous salary. If BELOW the average salary, then it's 190%
- A free agent coming off the 4th year of his 1st round pick rookie scale contract who made at least the average salary has a cap hold of 200% of his previous salary. If BELOW the average salary, then it's 250%.
- A free agent coming off the 3rd year of his 1st round pick rookie scale contract (a player who's 4th year option wasn't picked up) has a cap hold of the maximum 25% deal.
- A free agent coming off the 2nd year of his 1st round pick rookie scale contract (a player who's 3rd year option wasn't picked up) has a cap hold of 175% of his previous salary or 104.5% of the average salary, whichever is greater.
*Note that if a team declines a 3rd or 4th year option of a rookie scale deal, they cannot sign the player to a salary greater than the option year that they declined*
- A free agent with Early Bird rights (not coming off rookie scale) has a cap hold of 130% of his previous salary.
- A free agent with Non-Bird rights has a cap hold of 120% of his previous salary.
- A restricted free agent's cap hold is whichever is greater between the amount of his qualifying offer and his free agent amount as detailed above.
- An unsigned first round pick has a cap hold of 100% of their scale slot. If the player plays overseas, the cap hold only counts during the off season. Unsigned 2nd round picks have no cap hold.
*The formula to determine the league's average salary is as follows:
Divide the total salaries paid during the season that just concluded by 13.2 times the number of teams in the league (expansion teams are not included in their first 2 years). So in this case 13.2 x 30 is 396, so divide the total salaries by 396.*
Obviously, once the new contract is signed, the cap hold is replaced by the new salary.
**see questions 37-42 in FAQ for reference to cap holds**
**see question 32 in FAQ for reference to average salary**
2nd Round Picks Contracts-
These should be able to be negotiated after the draft and during free agency to maximize cap space. Currently users can only accept or decline these 1+1 year deals (CPU teams typically decline most 2nd round picks). 2nd round picks are not limited to a scale like 1st rounders are. They are usually given the minimum, a portion of the MLE, or even just cap space. Non-guaranteed contracts are essential here.
Teams commonly use a small portion of their MLE to sign 2nd round picks, even if the salary appears to be the minimum, in order to give the player a 3rd year in order to secure their full Bird rights (minimum contracts are limited to 2 years).
1st Round picks can be negotiated to receive between 80% and 120% of their scaled amounts. If both 1st and 2nd round pick negotiations are added in 2k, this needs to be accounted for. Teams rarely give their first round pick any lower than 100%-120%.
**see question 50 in FAQ for reference**
Restricted Free Agency-
Probably the biggest correction 2k made from 2k16 to 17 was correcting who exactly was an Unrestricted Free Agent or a Restricted Free Agent. Last year players like Steph Curry and Mike Conley were RFA's although this was mostly a roster issue, since generated players had the correct rules applied.
Qualifying offers for first round picks appear to be correct according to scale (minus the starter criteria rule) but 2nd round picks and undrafted free agents are off. These are the rules for qualifying offers.
- All first round picks have scaled qualifying offers. The entire scale through the 2020-2021 season is listed here:
http://www.cbafaq.com/scale2011.htm
Again, these appear to all be correct.
- All other players' qualifying offers are 125% of their previous salary.
The only exception to all of these is only if the player meets a "starter criteria." This is met if a player starts 41 games or plays 2,000 minutes in the previous season OR averages those numbers over the previous 2 years. (These stats are kept in 2k, why not use them?)
This is how the starter criteria affects each player:
- For a player drafted 10-30, he will receive the 9th pick's qualifying offer amount from his draft class. (However the formula is based on 120% of what the 9th pick is scaled to receive in the 3rd year of his deal. The percentage raise in the 4th year and for the qualifying offer is then based on that).
- For a player who was undrafted or drafted in the 2nd round, he will receive the 21st pick's qualifying offer from his draft class (100% of the 3rd year scale, not 120% like detailed above).
- On the negative side, for a player drafted 1-14 who DID NOT meet the starter criteria, he will only receive the 15th pick's qualifying offer from his draft class (like the rule for picks 11-30, the formula is based on 120% of the scaled 3rd year for the 15th pick from that draft class).
When it comes to making contract offers to RFA's in 2k, they are missing the Gilbert Arenas Provision. Also, offer sheets must be 4 years in length, but in 2k they can be any amount.
The Gilbert Arenas Provision is for Non-Bird and Early Bird free agents who hit restricted free agency from a team who is over the cap. Since the the team who holds their rights cannot match deals using the full Bird rights exception, the first year of the offer sheet cannot exceed the full non-taxpayer MLE. The offering team offers a contract with a certain average salary that they can fit under their cap that year, but once offered, the contract is structured as the first year being the full MLE amount, the 2nd year a 4.5% raise, and the remaining amount of the contract spread out over years 3 and 4 with year 4 having a 4.1% raise over year 3.
*Note that a team cannot match at all if they have already used their Non-Taxpayer MLE or are over the luxury tax apron, therefore only having the Taxpayer MLE*
Everyone knows about these "poison pill contracts", however what many don't realize is that the offering team does not have to swallow the poison pill if they sign the player and the original team doesn't match. The poison pill structure only applies in the offering team's "Actual Salaries" but not their "Cap Hits". If the original team matches, the poison pill structure applies to both Actual Salaries and Cap Hits. The offering team is essentially offering a "flat" contract (no raises) over 4 years in the Cap Hits. This is because the average salary of the contract is what counts in the offering team's Cap Hit.
Example:
Tyler Johnson signed a poison pill offer sheet of 4 years for 50 million with the Nets that the Heat matched. Both his Cap Hit and Actual Salary look like this:
Year 1: $5.63m
Year 2: $5.88m
Year 3: $18.86m
Year 4: $19.63m
Had the Heat declined to match, the Nets Actual Salary would be exactly the same, however, their Cap Hit would be:
Year 1: $12.50m
Year 2: $12.50m
Year 3: $12.50m
Year 4: $12.50m
**see questions 44 and 45 in FAQ for reference**
Roster Size-
We are finally aloud to exceed the 15 player roster size limit in the offseason. However, without non-guaranteed contracts, a D-League, or a competitive training camp feature, there is not much point to this.
One rule that I know the team is aware of due to how often it was complained about for the last 2 years, is the Hardship Exception. During a season, if a team has 4 players miss at least 3 games with an injury and are likely to miss more, the team applies for the hardship exception which allows them to add a 16th player. Once one of the injured players is healthy enough to play, the team must get back down to 15 players, either by releasing the hardship exception or releasing someone else.
This needs to be aloud in Play Now as well. Using the Pelicans late in the year last year in PNO was extremely frustrating as there was a stretch where only 7 or 8 players were healthy.
**see question 79 in FAQ for reference**
10 Day Contracts-
From what I recall, the last 2k game that had these had the rules correct.
They are available after January 5 and a team cannot sign the same player to more than 2. After that, the team can only sign the player to at least a rest of the season minimum contract. (Can be more if the teams have the exceptions/cap room and can be a multi year deal).
**see question 80 in FAQ for reference**
Contract Types-
The contract negotiation screen needs to be modified to both expedite the users' ability to find the contract they want to offer as well as understand what exactly that are offering or aloud to offer.
First of all, to include proper
Sign and Trades, when initially selecting another team's free agent, the user should not only be prompted with "negotiate offer" and "view offers", but also "negotiate sign and trade". Once selected, you are taken to the default contract negotiation screen. After offering your contract, you are immediately taken to the trade player screen and must orchestrate a trade that meets the salary structure in order to offer your contract.
As a workaround in 2k17, users are currently aloud to resign ANY player and trade them at any time. Not only does this go against real life trade restrictions, but also allows any team, regardless of tax penalties, to acquire max Bird free agents through a "sign and trade". This is no longer aloud in the NBA.
Here are some important notes about Sign and Trades:
- The team receiving the player cannot be above the tax apron after the trade. So if a team is above the tax apron, they can still acquire a player in a sign and trade as long as the trade ends up reducing team salary below the tax apron.
- If the team has used the Taxpayer MLE, they cannot acquire a player in a S&T. Non-Taxpayer MLE has no affect.
- If a team acquires a player via S&T, it is "hard-capped" at the tax apron for that season.
- Cannot be signed using either MLE. Also cannot be signed using any exception that is limited to 2 years in length.
- S&T deals must be 3-4 years in length and are limited to 4.5% raises. Also the first year of the deal must be fully guaranteed. (Therefore, the advantages that teams had in the case of Chris Bosh and LeBron James going to the Heat in S&T deals no longer exist, which is why you don't see as many of these anymore.)
- Cannot happen during the regular season.
As far as the negotiation screen itself, the option Contract Type should be expanded upon rather than just consist of different raises. This would allow users to quickly cycle through to their desired offer and negotiate from there rather than just increasing or decreasing the year 1 salary number from what the free agent is asking for.
They should include:
- Offer Sheet-
This is available only when negotiating with another team's restricted free agent. Must be 4 years in length and raises capped at 4.5%. If negotiating with a player with Non-Bird or Early Bird rights belonging to a team who is over the cap, contract is negotiated as a flat deal (no raises). Once offered though, year 1 salary is structured as no more than the Non-Taxpayer MLE. Year 2 has a 4.5% raise while the rest of the contract is spread out over years 3 and 4 with year 4 having a 4.1% raise over year 3. If the original team does not match, then only the average salary counts as a cap hit in each of the 4 years for the offering team. If the original team matches, they swallow the "poison pill".
- Maximum Offer-
This is available when negotiating with another team's free agent. (Same for sign and trades as well). Can be 1-4 years in length with 4.5% raises. Starting salary is 25% of the cap for players with 0-6 years experience, 30% for 7-9 and 35% for 10+. A player is eligible to receive 105% of his previous salary even when changing teams AND even if this number exceeds the maximum salary.
*Note that maximum salaries are based on a different percentage of BRI than that which is used to determine the salary cap. Which is why in real life, a maximum 25% salary is actually less than 25% of the cap. We'd need to have projected BRI numbers calculated in 2k to replicate this and this shouldn't be a high priority compared to other issues*
**see questions 13 and 16 in FAQ for setting the salary cap and maximum salaries**
- Bird Offer-
Only available when negotiating with team's own free agent who has 3 years of bird rights (no longer available for sign and trades). Can be 1-5 years in length with up to 7.5% raises from the first year. Starting salary can be up to the maximum based on that player's experience. Team is allowed to exceed the cap to complete the signing.
- Early Bird Offer-
Only available when negotiating with team's own free agent who has 2 years of bird rights (no longer available for sign and trades). Can be 2-4 years in length (must be at least 2 but can include options) with up to 7.5% raises from the first year. Starting salary can be up to 175% of previous salary or up to 107.5% of the average salary, whichever is more. Team is allowed to exceed the cap to complete the signing.
- Non-Bird Offer-
Only available when negotiating with team's own free agent who has 1 year of bird rights (no longer available for sign and trades). Can be 1-4 years in length with up to 4.5% raises from the first year. Starting salary can be up to 120% of his previous salary, 120% of the minimum salary, or the amount of his qualifying offer if he's a RFA. Team is allowed to exceed the cap to complete the signing.
- Minimum Exception-
Available to any free agent. Can be 1-2 years in length. (Rookies who negotiate 3 or 4 year minimum deals are not using the exception, but rather cap space or a portion of the MLE). Raises are not determined by a percentage, the additional year is just the minimum for that year for how many years of experience that player would have in THAT year. Team is allowed to exceed the cap to complete the signing.
**See Veteran's Minimum Exception section at the top of this post for details on salary as well as question 16 in FAQ**
- Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception-
Available to any free agent if team is over the cap (or under it by less than the MLE amount) but under the tax apron. Can be split amongst multiple players. Can be 1-4 years in length and raises up to 4.5% from the first year. Scaled salary (shown in question 25 in FAQ). If used, then that team is hard capped at the luxury tax apron and cannot exceed that number for any reason during the year.
- Taxpayer Mid-Level Exception-
Available to any free agent if the team is over the luxury tax apron. Can be split amongst multiple players. Can be 1-3 years in length with 4.5% raises from the first year. Scaled salary (shown in question 25 of FAQ).
- Room Mid-Level Exception-
Available to any free agent if the team is far enough below the cap to lose it's Non-Taxpayer MLE. Can be split amongst multiple players. Can be 1-2 years in length with up to 4.5% raises from the first year. Scaled salary (shown in question 25 of FAQ). If used, then that team cannot use it's Non-Taxpayer or Taxpayer MLE, nor it's Bi-annual exception that year.
- Bi-annual Exception-
Available to any free agent if the team is below the tax apron but cannot be used in back to back years. Can be split amongst multiple players. Can be 1-2 years in length with up to 4.5% raises from the first year. If used, then that team is hard capped at the luxury tax apron.
- 10-Day Contract-
See section above
Additional notes for Contract negotiation screen...
- Other than the minimum exception and 10 Day contract, users can of course negotiate downwards from any of these amounts. Again, this is in part to give us the ability to get to the desired amount faster than simply scrolling through numbers.
- While each contract has raises restrictions, we should have more freedom than just selecting bird (+7.5%), back(+4.5%), front(-4.5% and flat. While you cannot exceed 4.5% or 7.5% (depending on the contract) whether upwards or downwards, we should be able to create a Luol Deng-like contract with both raises and decreases (Deng is making $18m this year, then $17.19m next year, back to $18m, then $18.81m in the final year).
- We should be able to see the total contract amount. I know we can currently just do the math and add up each of the years we're offering, but it would be a nice cosmetic touch to see that total amount as very commonly, deals less than the max come out to even numbers, $21.00m, $50.00m, $64.00m, etc.
**see questions 16, 25, 26, 27, 28, 45, and 91 in FAQ**
Trades-
2k made an attempt to add more trade rules this year.
However, like minimum contracts and the Rose Rule, these all weren't added correctly. The ones that were correctly added, weren't even the ones explained. 2k added the rule that creates a no trade clause for players who accept their Qualifying Offer. Also, they made it so any free agent that signs with a new team cannot be traded for 90 days or December 15, whichever comes later. Below are some of the other missing rules or rules that are incorrect.
- When a team over the cap acquires a player in a trade, they cannot trade him for 60 days if his salary is used in aggregation with another player's salary. Simply meaning if the team tries to put him and another player together to acquire a more expensive player, thus taking on more salary, this is not allowed if they are over the cap. The player CAN be traded at any time if:
-The team is under the cap
-If he is by himself
-Or even if packaged with another player but the team is receiving less than the total outgoing salary, therefore his salary is NOT aggregated.
2k just put a blanket rule that you can't trade ANY player for 60 days that you just acquired in a trade, even though Erick explained the rule correctly in the MyLeague blog.
- When a player is playing on a one year contact (including players who accepted their qualifying offers), and will become a Bird or Early Bird free agent at the end of the year, the team cannot trade him without his consent. If they do consent, they lose their Bird or Early Bird rights and become a Non-Bird FA. 2k only added this for players who accept their Qualifying Offer.
- When a team re-signs a free agent with Bird or Early Bird Rights, is over the cap, the player's salary is greater than the minimum and he has received a raise of at least 20%, the team cannot trade him for 3 months or until January 15, whichever is later. The only restriction placed on players that were resigned was for some reason, on players that accepted their Qualifying Offer. However, the exclusion of this rule could be to provide a work around to allow sign and trades.
- A team cannot trade a draft pick for 30 days after he signed. Rights can be traded if not signed yet.
(This exists in 2k, but without the ability to trade draft rights.)
- The Minimum Salary Trade Exception-
This allows players on miminum exceptions to not count in salary in trades. If they are playing on a contract longer than 2 years, as I said before this is not a minimum exception, simply a contract paying minimum salaries and therefore is not included in the Minimum Salary Trade Exception.
- A team cannot reacquire a player they traded away during that season (from July 1 to June 30). If he is waived by his new team, then he cannot re-sign with his original team until the one-year anniversary of the trade, or until July 1 following the end of his contract, whichever comes first. However, if a team trades a player's draft rights, they can reacquire the player during the same season if trading draft rights is added in 2k.
- A team cannot trade a player after claiming him on waivers, for 30 days if the player was claimed during the season. If the player was claimed during the offseason, he cannot be traded until the 30th day of the following season. Currently, claimed players are treated as if they signed new deals and therefore can't be traded for 90 days in 2k.
- The Non-Simultaneous Trade-
This is commonly referred to as the Traded Player Exception or TPE. This allows a team above the cap (after the trade) to essentially have a "credit" of salary for one year if they received less than 100% of the salary they traded away. This credit can then be used to acquire a player in a future trade or claim a player on waivers. If the exception was say $10 million and they acquire a player for $6 million, they can still use the remaining $4 million to absorb another player in a trade. The exception itself is not a tradable asset, so the team still needs to either trade away a draft pick or draft rights to a player. However, since the exception cannot be combined with other exceptions, a team cannot combine the trade exception with a player to acquire a more expensive player. Nor can the trade exception be combined with another trade exception to acquire a more expensive player. A TPE can only be used to acquire a player that makes up to 100% (plus $100,000) of the exception.
**see questions 84, 85, 86 and 100 in FAQ for reference**
Draft Pick Protection-
I was pretty disappointed with how protected picks were implemented this year, and I hope this was just the first step with 2k18 expanding upon the feature further. Otherwise I'd almost rather we just return to 2k16's system as at least it was easier to manually make corrections throughout the years.
Let's start with multi-year protection (decreasing or not), which as I said last year, is a must. Ex: top 15 protected in 2016, top 10 in 2017, top 8 in 2018, etc) with the ability to decide when it becomes unprotected. There is not much point to one year of protection and this is extremely rare especially on first round picks.
I'd like to see a more comprehensive list of options:
- How many years of protection.
- Specific protection for each year (doesn't necessarily have to decrease, could be 2 years in a row of Top 5 Protected).This includes to ability to create "guaranteed lotto pick" i.e. Top 3 protected AND 15-30 protected.
First Round:
-Choice of Unprotected, top 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 (lotto), 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, Top 3 and 15-30, and just 15-30 (guaranteed lotto) protected.
Second Round:
-31-40, 31-45, 45-60, and top 55 protected.
- What happens at the end of protection (does it become unprotected, become 1 or 2nd rounders, or are the team's obligations extinguished).
- Pick swaps can also include protections.
The one part of the feature in 2k17 I was impressed with was the pick swaps. Although I'm not sure why 2k got a more confusing feature in before getting a more standard one like multiple year protection.
Also, include the Ted Stepien Rule that prevents teams from trading away 1st round picks in
future consecutive years. This includes protected picks that may result in the team not having a 1st round pick in consecutive years. So for example, say a team traded their 2016 and 2018 picks away, both with protections. The 2016 pick ends up falling into the protected range and the team therefore keeps it. The picks now shift to 2017 and 2019 respectively because the 2nd pick cannot be traded away in the future until 2 years after that first obligation has been met.
This only applies to
future picks. If a team trades away their 2017 1st rounder
IN 2017, regardless of whether they traded away their 2016 pick this is legal because the 2016 pick is not a future pick. They just wouldn't be able to trade away 2018's as well. So technically a team could never have a first rounder if they waited until THAT specific year each to trade that year's pick. Also pick swaps are not included in this rule, which is why Boston got Brooklyn's pick last year and can now also swap 1sts with Brooklyn this year. Good job Billy King!
A sort of band-aid version of the Stepien Rule exists in 2k17 with the "Protection Backup" but again we only have 1 year protections so it's over simplified. This was really put in to guarantee that the pick is received the following year if it fell into the protection. We also can't apply a pick swap to that pick as I described above with Brooklyn and Boston.
A bug I noticed is that sometimes randomly I can't apply protection to a first round pick I'm trying to trade away, even if I can still trade the pick. I am only given the option for Unprotected, Swap Best and Swap Worst. I can't determine exactly what causes this as there's no consistency at least from what I've seen.
**see question 87 in FAQ for reference**
Draft Rights/Euroleague/D-League Assignments-
Leftos has asked to community to express exactly what it is we want from a D-League feature as FULL implementation doesn't seem to be close to a reality. I think my vision is in line with the majority of the community based on all the feedback I've seen from members.
Currently in 2k, the free agent list is filled with guys who are likely to never play in the NBA again (mostly on the older side). The Euroleague teams are simply space eaters existing outside of the franchise experience where few players use them, and 2nd round picks in MyLeague/GM typically are never heard from again after teams decline to offer them a contract to preserve space on the 15 man roster limitation.
I believe most of us simply want to fill that void!
We don't need the D-League to be fully playable teams, just as we don't need the Euroleague to be playable.
Emphasis should be placed on having both the D-League and Euroleague as a place to stash, develop, and DISCOVER additional talent. Even if these teams are not playable, they should be accessible within MyLeague/GM and filled with REAL players. Players overseas with their rights held by an NBA team should be programmed as such. Players who have generic faces should be fully editable as well so we're not stuck with these horrendous caveman faces. Even if the teams are just extensive "lists" of sorts, 2k could expand upon their simulated season stats as they introduced with draft prospects in 2k15.
Having these teams would keep more real players involved in the experience beyond just in Summer League, as well as have a place to stash our draft picks that we don't have room for and watch them develop (or not). Discovering new talent would also add a rewarding, engaging element to the experience, including seeing one of the has-been free agents make a comeback. Here are the rules as they apply to each of these scenarios:
- Teams retain the rights to the players they draft as long as the player is playing professional basketball somewhere whether it be overseas or in the D-League (under a D-League contract of course). These draft rights should be allowed to be included in trades.
- For players drafted in the first round, they are bound to the first round salary scale in the year they sign with the team. This applies for 3 years after being drafted. After 3 years, the player can be signed using cap room or any exception. This contract must be 3 years in length and more than 120% of the rookie scaled amount. (This is why some people felt Dario Saric should have waited until 2017 to come to Philadelphia as he no longer would have been bound by the rookie scale and could sign as Nikola Mirotic did.)
- If a first round pick signs overseas or a D-League contract, then his 100% of the rookie scale cap hold only counts during the offseason. Unsigned 2nd round picks have no cap hold.
- For D-League assignments, players under contract with an NBA team who have 0-2 years of experience can be assigned at any time to the D-League affiliate. Players with 3 years of experience or more can be assigned only if the player (and union) consents. There is no limit on number of assignments. Assigning a player does NOT free up salary or roster space however (at least not until this new CBA goes into effect).
- Teams can designate up to 4 players that they cut at the end of training camp to be assigned to their D-League affiliate. They sign D-League contracts and can be called up by any NBA team however.
Assuming that the D-League teams' affiliations are assigned correctly, an added touch would be to allow for D-League expansion. Everyone knows the NBA is heading towards the day when all 30 team's own and operate their own D-League affiliate. It would be cool to replicate that as you move through the years in your MyLeague.
**see questions 51, 52, and 81 in FAQ for reference**
Salary Cap Setting-
Last but not least, we should be able to have some influence on the number the salary cap is set at each year as we progress through our MyLeague.
Without getting into calculating BRI, I suggest using the League Meetings portion of the off season to allow us to set the cap. Currently we can only set (by $5 million intervals at a time from $94.14 million) the cap before we start the mode. So replicating the expected jump to $103 million next season is impossible while then allowing the cap to flatten out in following years as is also expected.
The Salary cap Inflation Rate slider has little affect as even set at 75 resulted in about a $1 million increase each year.
The closest workaround currently is just to essentially ignore this year by setting the cap to either $99 million or $104 million (whichever you prefer).
As always, the more customization the better!
NOW, the elephant in the room is the new CBA deal that should be struck rather soon between the Union and the League. As of October 23, here's a list of likely (keep in mind these are all based on reports only) changes coming in the new deal:
- Increase for Scaled Salaries-
This was the most obvious change coming with the recent cap explosion. We are going to see the scales for the 1st Round Pick, Veteran's Minimum Exception, Mid Level Exception (both taxpayer and non-taxpayer), Bi-annual Exception, and Room Exception increase and actually be determined by a certain percentage of the cap each year rather than fixed scaled amounts.
- Restricted Free Agents will now be able to sign offer sheets on July 1st and the original team will have only 2 days to decide to match. It has yet to be determined how this will affect Unrestricted Free Agency.
- Teams will no longer be able to retract Qualifying Offers to RFA's.
- The Over-36 Rule will be extended to the Over-38 Rule.
- Veteran Extentions will be able to be signed 2 years after signing the original contract rather than the current 3 years. I'm curious to see how this will work, will this affect Rookie Scale Extentions? Does this mean 3 year deals will be extendable? Will veterans be able to add more than 3 years to the deal? I know the intent is to create more incentive for vets to extend before they hit free agency but this alone certainly isn't enough. It'll be interesting to see how much more there is to this.
- 2 way D-League Contracts-
This will be the biggest change to the league as we know it as it's creating a 16th and 17th Roster spot for NBA teams to have players that are paid an NBA salary while in the NBA, and a D-League salary when in the D-League. I have to imagine there are more changes coming to how teams utilize the D-League.
So as it relates to 2k, the biggest changes will be inputting the correct math for the new salaries for cap exceptions. The D-League rules obviously depend on whether 2k finally decides to include it at all, and the rest thus far are small tweaks to existing rules.
There's obviously more coming, and as I've said before, I am certainly willing to do whatever I can to help 2k understand these rules so we can have the most authentic franchise experience possible!
Thank you for reading!