L.A. Lakers: The Dollars and Cents Behind the Latest NBA Labor Proposal

How much is an NBA championship worth?

Under the old collective bargaining agreement, league owners and the NBA players union said that $58.04 million—the 2010-2011 salary cap—was a fair price.

If you valued a championship more than that amount, you could spend more than that amount. The soft cap allowed flexibility north of this range, meaning champion owners like Dr. Jerry Buss of the Los Angeles Lakers could work financial magic and amass a team of superstars for nearly double that price and face mild penalties.

Soft penalties under the soft cap.

Not anymore, say the owners this time around in the NBA's labor negotiations. Let's take a look at the latest proposal for the NBA's salary cap and how it affects the Lakers.

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