D-league

[JB]

On Jun 3, 2006, at 8:42 PM, Piotrowski, Mark A wrote:

> I sure hope JB's right that "it won't be long".... i just think a true 
> minor
> league would be so beneficial to the NBA.
>
> (the other)mark
>
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	The Lakers are the guinea pig. If they can do it at a profit, several 
other teams will buy in.
	Once there are several models, even the teams less likely to make a 
profit at it, would have to jump in for competitive reasons.
	The rosters can be filled out with local college stars, like Taylor 
Coppenrath, who may never make an NBA club, but who don't want to go 
overseas.
	There are already a few other "minor leagues" floating around. Surely 
they would prefer NBA affiliation and all the free promotion and 
marketing opportunities that come with that, so we may see franchises 
jumping leagues, like the late forties early fifties, when the PBLA 
folded and the NBL and the BAA eventually merged to become the NBA.
	The biggest stumbling block would be the players  union and the 
working out of minor/major league contracts. It could probably be 
negotiated similarly to the present situation, where if a free agent 
was signed to a series of 10 day contracts, the parent club would have 
to sign him to an NBA contract, or loose his rights, which would allow 
any other team to sign him.

		JB