Has the NBL salary cap aided the big city clubs?
“Overall [the cap] has been a really good thing and has made the league a lot more enjoyable for fans but we think there are still a couple of minor tweaks that could be made."
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The Southland Sharks intend to raise some concerns with National Basketball League officials about the current salary cap system and what it means to clubs based in regional New Zealand.
Interim Sharks head coach Andrew Wheeler has been part of the league since 2010 when Southland first joined the NBL.
He says the NBL has made big strides as a competition and the implementation of a salary cap has helped to make a much more even contest.
READ MORE: * Wheeler steps up with Sharks season on the line
Although Wheeler believes there are some flaws in the system which has hurt regional teams and aided those based in the bigger centres.
A bulk of New Zealand’s basketball talent comes out of Auckland, or other bigger centres.
It’s no secret the Sharks was previously one of the bigger spending teams in the league and they did so to entice some of New Zealand’s best talent away from the bigger centres and to Southland.
As a result, the organisation had some success winning three titles in six years.
However, the league made changes to its competitive balance system which included reducing teams’ overall maximum player spend to $155,000, a significant drop from what the likes of the Sharks had previously stumped up for its roster.
As a result, it seems it has become harder for the likes of the Sharks to lure leading players away from the major centres who are happy to stay in their home cities.
It seems another stickler is the fact the likes of Auckland Tuatara and Franklin Bulls have the bulk of the country’s best young talent at their fingertips given the population base. And more importantly what that can mean for the playing depth on their roster as talented young players can have no impact on their player spend.
The concern around the salary cap system, and what it means for those teams in provincial New Zealand, seems to be backed up by the current standings in the 2023 NBL.
The top five spots up are made up of clubs based in metropolitan areas - Auckland Tuatara, Otago Nuggets, Frankin Bulls, Canterbury Rams, and Wellington Saints.
The bottom five spots are the clubs based in regional New Zealand - Taranaki Airs, Nelson Giants, Southland Sharks, Manawatu Jets, and Hawke’s Bay Hawks.
Wheeler confirmed the Sharks intend to raise the salary cap matter with NBL officials during the off-season.
“Overall [the salary cap] has been a really good thing and has made the league a lot more enjoyable for fans, but we think there are still a couple of minor tweaks that could be made to balance it out for the regions.
“We think it does have some flaws that benefit the larger cities, as opposed to the regions.”