In one of his more candid moments this past season, NBA commissioner Adam Silver confessed that he was concerned about the mental health of NBA players.

"A lot of players are unhappy," Silver told Bill Simmons at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, attributing much of the anxiety to social media.

There are any number of environmental or chemical factors present in "unhappiness" -- social media is certainly one, mental health conditions that go undiagnosed and untreated are likely another. One less obvious feature present in the lives of young NBA players is that the vast majority of them are playing in cities, for bosses, with co-workers and on behalf of brands they had zero influence in choosing.

Imagine a system in which incoming rookies enjoyed the power to choose -- say unrestricted free agency. Critics contend that such a setup would concentrate the best young rookies on established and/or sexier franchises. But in a restrictive salary-cap system, a capped-out team doesn't have the resources to offer Williamson what he'd command in free agency. The Warriors would be every bit as hamstrung in pursuit of Williamson, Ja Morant or any other top-five pick as they are in chasing Kawhi Leonard and Kyrie Irving.

Would the Lakers be assured a top-three talent every year by virtue of being the Lakers? Who knows, but under the current system, the most recognizable brand in North American professional sports drafted the No. 2 pick three years running from 2015 through 2017, and are slated to pick fourth this season. If rookies were free agents, the Lakers would not only have to win prospects with the power of persuasion, they'd also have to pay them something close to market value.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Weird, I see Dolphin looking in my asshole

owners.

So the question is what is so important about the draft but doesn't matter when the player is free to sign wherever they want after their first contract is over?

Gives smaller market teams a chance to sell their organization and team on a player and build around him. With no draft maybe Duncan signs with an east coast team, Giannis signs in NY, Russell Westbrook signs in LA, etc.

With no draft it would essentially just be the Lakers, Knicks, Heat, and one of the Texas teams taking turns having the best super team.

But really I just mainly reject the logic that a draft is "unfair" to players. I'm almost always on the players side in the players vs owners battles but acting like they are being mistreated is a bridge too far.

a salary cap prevents your scenario from occurring.

No it does not. A hard cap might, but not their current one

Gives smaller market teams a chance to sell their organization and team on a player and build around him. With no draft maybe Duncan signs with an east coast team, Giannis signs in NY, Russell Westbrook signs in LA, etc.

With no draft it would essentially just be the Lakers, Knicks, Heat, and one of the Texas teams taking turns having the best super team.

But really I just mainly reject the logic that a draft is "unfair" to players. I'm almost always on the players side in the players vs owners battles but acting like they are being mistreated is a bridge too far.

This assumes players are willing to take significant discounts. If Zion was offered to go to the Knicks instead of the Pelicans this year but he would be paid 50% less do you think he would do it?

The luxury tax kicks in at $132,000,000. If the top 6 destination cities each sign 3 top players to around $30,000,000/yr, what does that leave for the rest of the league? Do you think the next tier of players goes to the Pelicans, Sacramento or OKC? Not likely.

The luxury tax kicks in at $132,000,000. If the top 6 destination cities each sign 3 top players to around $30,000,000/yr, what does that leave for the rest of the league? Do you think the next tier of players goes to the Pelicans, Sacramento or OKC? Not likely.

The luxury tax kicks in at $132,000,000. If the top 6 destination cities each sign 3 top players to around $30,000,000/yr, what does that leave for the rest of the league? Do you think the next tier of players goes to the Pelicans, Sacramento or OKC? Not likely.

On top of that, to answer Rick's question, yes I do think Zion would accept a 1 year deal from a big club with stars on it with the assurance the team will give him a max extension the following offseason if things work out well. Over his career he will more than make up that first year loss of wages in additional endorsements.

I can't imagine this is true. Zion has made far less in his life than all of the current big time free agents and I don't see any of them lining up to do that unless it is for injury issues.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Ever since Bosh did it, max FA's have routinely taken less than the max to join a contender. Durant going to GS his first year is probably the most recent example. Kemba going to LA this summer might be the next one.

Ever since Bosh did it, max FA's have routinely taken less than the max to join a contender. Durant going to GS his first year is probably the most recent example.

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

Bosh took a $110 million contract instead of a $125 million contract. That's not anywhere close to a 50% discount. Also, Bosh had already made about $60 million at that point.

If the money was around 10% difference then I could see it but it's pretty bad if you are a terrible team and still have so many bad contracts you can't significantly beat an offer from a good team.

Didn't Durant still sign for a huge sum of money as enabled by the failure of the league and union to incrementally adjust the salary cap?

Ever since Bosh did it, max FA's have routinely taken less than the max to join a contender. Durant going to GS his first year is probably the most recent example. Kemba going to LA this summer might be the next one.

Iirc league wanted to increment it and the union wouldn't consider it. But he did sign for less than the max and way less than what OKC could have offered

The future holds the possibility to be great or terrible, and since it has not yet occurred it remains simultaneously both.

You're looking at 4 year deals. Zion can choose to sign for 1 year and then sign a max next off-season and he doesn't lose out on much money compared to his career earnings and he doesn't get stuck in a place he doesn't want to be for 4 years.

It's also not accurate to compare current players actions to this hypothetical because the hypothetical presents a universe completely different than the current one so players decisions would clearly be different as well. They'd have more options.

For instance they were never taught that Columbus was a slave owner.