NBL 2022: ‘We’re under the cap’ Why the big spending assumptions for the Sydney Kings aren’t correct

The Sydney Kings may be ultra-talented but the big spending assumptions are off the mark, writes Andrew Bogut.

The Sydney Kings might be super talented but they’re not over the salary cap, says Andrew Bogut. Picture: Getty Images

I’VE repeatedly read the Sydney Kings have bought a championship this season, but I can silence those rumours now: we are not over the salary cap.

It’s easy to assume that the Kings are over the cap based on the team’s talent and depth.

Easy, but incorrect because we’re not paying a dollar in luxury tax to the NBL under the league’s soft cap structure.

It’s why I was scratching my head when the New Zealand Breakers CEO Simon Edwards won the Executive of the Year award because Chris Pongrass at the Kings has done a phenomenal job to get this roster on paper under the salary cap.

I would love to make our books public, and I’ll go on the record saying we are not over the cap.

We got lucky with NBA championship-winning guard Ian Clark because he hadn’t played professional basketball for a year.

The Sydney Kings got lucky with NBA championship winning guard Ian Clark Picture: Getty Images

Jaylen Adams’ relationship with Chase Buford from his time in the G League also helped us acquire league MVP without having to sell the farm.

I’d love to see team spends made public because there are teams over the cap that are not performing, and there are teams under the cap over performing. See: Tasmania.

There are teams that people think are way over the cap, but they aren’t. It comes down to money management, relationships and how you structure things.

I would love to see the NBL open and transparent with salary caps, and I’ve said that from day one.

It will create another news cycle for the NBL, which they definitely need in the off-season. The reality is that the NBL doesn’t hit the papers six months a year, so making player wages and club spends public would be fantastic for the league.

Even if the Kings were over the soft cap, it still adds to the narrative.

You know, just for theatre reasons, imagine if Tassie had a $1 million salary cap versus a Melbourne United $2 million salary cap. It’s David versus Goliath. The story sells itself.

It’s English Premier League esque in the League Championship, where you’ve got second or third division teams taking on the might of a Manchester United or Liverpool.

It’s a remarkable story and people will start asking: ‘can these guys really do it?’

I also think player wages and club spends going public will create more honesty in the league. If you say that player X is making $300,000 a year and we offer him $400,000 and he turns it down and we’d be like: hang on, are there extra benefits that aren’t being included in the cap?

If the wages were public, it would definitely create more transparency.

I know the players’ union is a big push back on wages going public.

We also have to be careful about equalisation in the league, where you don’t get too gung-ho with that stuff.

People forget, the Kings have an 18,000-seat venue to pay for and fill compared to a smaller market like Tasmania’s 5000 seat venue, which is arguably easier to sell out.

We’re paying for an 18,000-seat area, so when this equalisation stuff comes up people forget we’ve got bills bigger than anyone else in the league.

We’re not crying poor by any means, but it’s not as simple as punish big club, give to small club. It’s always an ongoing discussion.

It’s not as easy as just give the small market more money – it has got to be balanced and if you make those financial details public – it will help.

DELLY’S NBA DAYS OVER?
Delly will be back in the NBL with Melbourne United next season. He has a multi-year deal with United and I don’t see him going back to the NBA. I don’t think he’ll get a guaranteed deal in the NBA in the off-season. Potentially a camp invite although I am sure not of his NBA out specifics, but I would assume he could only leave for a guaranteed deal.

Delly will be back at Melbourne United next year Picture: Getty Images

I hope Delly gets another shot in the NBA, but I think he’ll be back at United next season.

I’ve noticed he copped criticism after Melbourne lost to Tassie in the deciding semi-final game. People wanted him to be stronger offensively in the absence of an injured Chris Goulding, but that isn’t his role. He wasn’t brought to the NBL to drop 20 points a night. To just turn that on out of nowhere is extremely hard to do.

THE LAST WE’LL SEE OF GOORJ IN NBL?

I’ve heard people say that Perth should replace current coach Scott Morrison with Goorj, or even the usual South East Melbourne Phoenix rumours but it won’t happen.

I think Goorj is at that age where he wants to be where he wants to be.

I doubt he’ll retire, but I could definitely see a consulting role here with the NBL and maybe in Asia on top of his Boomers commitments.

As far as coaching professionally, he could go back to China, but I doubt that he entertains a full-time NBL offer at this point.

That said, Goorj has been fantastic for the NBL since returning to Illawarra for the past two seasons. I’ve hated cheering against him at the Hawks now that I’m Kings part-owner. I just love the way he goes about his business.

Andrew Bogut doubts if Brian Goorjian will coach in the NBL again. Picture: Getty Images

Goorj’s expletive laden time-out in the second semi-final against the Kings upset a few bed wetters out there, but I thought it was great and we need more of that real passion. He has been sensational for the league, and he has helped to lift the Hawks back into the top four for the past two seasons and now it’s up to the new coach and front office to continue what he has built.

Goorj will be missed in the NBL, but let’s not forget he is still involved with the Boomers until 2024.

His exit from the Hawks is just one of those unfortunate realities that can happen in professional basketball.

THE 48-MINUTE GAME WOULD WORK

I wouldn’t mind seeing the NBL returning to the 48-minute game. The problem is that FIBA play the 40-minute game and unless you change the Olympics and the World Cup to 48 minutes, then I don’t see the NBL changing it.

I do prefer the 48-minute game, though.

Originally published as NBL 2022: ‘We’re under the cap’ Why the big spending assumptions for the Sydney Kings aren’t correct