While Jake was taking a break, chaos was erupting across the Western Conference. In the Northwest, things were spiraling out of control! Aldridge had become a free agent, openly stating he wouldn't return to Portland. Meanwhile, the Kings had traded Cousins for a bundle of future assets, leaving last season's fourth and seventh Western Conference playoff teams significantly weaker on paper. The uncertainty left other Western teams eager to make moves and rise up the ranks.
The Rockets were clearing salary space like mad, waiting for Aldridge. After missing out on Carmelo last year, Houston's desire for a Big Three had reached a fever pitch. In Los Angeles, the Clippers faced internal turmoil after a disappointing playoff run. DeAndre Jordan, their defensive anchor, had hit free agency and was eyeing an exit. His departure quickly drew the interest of Western teams: the Lakers brought in Kobe to pitch him on staying in L.A., while the Mavericks in Texas went all out, hoping to land the DPOY-level center to replace their aging champ, Tyson Chandler.
As the Western Conference scrambled, the Eastern teams weren't sitting still. The Wizards had signed Cousins, establishing themselves as the East's frontrunners and eclipsing Atlanta as LeBron's top challengers. Meanwhile, the Raptors, frustrated by repeated playoff losses to LeBron despite Lowry and DeRozan's best efforts, had reached a breaking point. Raptors GM Ujiri was eyeing Aldridge, eager to build his own Big Three. "You think only you can do it?" Ujiri fumed. "We're making our own Big Three!"
Peja, just back from vacation, looked over the table stacked with free agency intel and shook his head. "Are we really just going to sit this out?"
"Let them go wild," Jake replied casually, tossing a report onto the table. "With the new broadcast deal kicking in next year, everyone's in a rush to lock in contracts early."
The league's salary cap calculations are based on the broadcast deal. Typically, the cap rises gradually year to year. But 2016 was going to be a game-changer. Back in 2014, the league had signed a colossal nine-year, $24 billion contract with ESPN and TNT, an average of $2.66 billion per year. This meant the salary cap was set to skyrocket after the season. To put it in perspective, the cap was $63 million for the 2014-2015 season, and it increased to $70 million for 2015-2016, a notable jump. However, for 2016-2017, actuaries were predicting a massive leap to $94 million. A $100 million cap, once a fantasy, was about to become reality.
"The more these teams rush to sign players now, the more we need to stay calm," Jake explained, spinning a pen in his hand. "They're throwing money around like it grows on trees. But you know as well as I do—players are aware of the cap jump. They're not going to be easily swayed into early deals."
Peja nodded, grasping Jake's point. "So we stay cautious. No handing out giant contracts to players who won't move the needle."
Before long, a deal shook the entire league: the Cavaliers re-signed starting center Tristan Thompson for a whopping $82 million over five years.
"How much?!" Peja exclaimed, his jaw dropping. Ajiali, standing nearby, rubbed her forehead in disbelief.
"If I'm not mistaken," she stammered, "Thompson's average last season was… 8 points and 8 rebounds?"
"Yes!" Peja shouted. "No! That can't be worth $80 million!"
Peja's reaction was understandable; after all, Rudy Gay's contract extension was just over $10 million per year, which seemed like a steal in comparison.
"I know the cap is going up, but this is ridiculous!" Peja muttered, pulling at his hair in frustration.
"It's likely LeBron put the pressure on management for Thompson's deal," Jake observed calmly, seeing right through the politics behind the hefty contract.