NBA: Spurs’ West pays $11M for a ring he might not get

The idea of a salary cap, over the years, has created innumerable ripple effects throughout professional sports. The latest arrived this week, when a man walked away from $11 million and gained a reputation only as a noble competitor, and not at all as a complete and utter fool.

In late June, former All-Star power forward David West opted out of the final season of his contract with the Indiana Pacers, which would have paid him $12.2 million next year. "At this point in my career, I just want to win," West told Indianapolis TV station WTHR. Countless professional athletes have spouted that refrain. Few have proved it like West.

In free agency, West eschewed midlevel offers from the Washington Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers. He believed the San Antonio Spurs provided his best opportunity to win a championship, so he agreed to the only contract the Spurs could offer under their strained salary cap: a one-year, $1.4 million deal — the veteran minimum, $10.8 million less than he had left on the table in Indiana. The sacrifice didn't guarantee a title; it just gave West a better chance. Dreams may cost money, but money costs some dreams.

How much scratch is a title worth?

West's decision drew widespread raves throughout league and media circles. How much is a championship worth? Is a title more valuable than money? The answers may vary from player to player. In West's case, he emerged as a sage veteran with his priorities straight and his principles uncompromised.

"At the end of the day, it sort of separates the men from the boys," NBA agent David Falk said. "There's nothing wrong with taking the money. This is America. It's really up to the individual. There's nothing wrong with making money.

"I think it's terrific. I'm a big David West fan. He really was the heart and soul of the team, the guts of the team, the leader of the team. I really respect what he did. The one thing you can't do in this league is buy a championship."

In 2011, Falk helped Mike Bibby negotiate a buyout with the Washington Wizards that zapped $6.2 million Bibby would have been guaranteed the following season. The machinations allowed Bibby his release from the then-awful Wizards to sign with the Miami Heat, which would reach the NBA Finals. At the end of his career, Bibby cared only about the chance to win.

Like Bibby, who earned $107 million in his career, West has made enough that only extreme fiscal negligence could render him anything less than financially stable. Before he joined San Antonio, West had made $87.7 million during his 12-year NBA career, enough to ensure generations of Wests will be financially secure.

On the other hand, $11 million is $11 million, no matter how much you have made and saved. It would represent 12 percent of his lifetime earnings, and West may not have another significant payday left in his playing career.

Money over everything

For some players, money takes precedence regardless of their status. Two seasons ago, Kobe Bryant signed an extension with the Los Angeles Lakers. Stars such as Dirk Nowitzki and Tim Duncan had provided a blueprint for staging late-career title runs, agreeing to contracts for a fraction of their value in order to save cap space for quality teammates. Bryant signed for an average of $24 million a year over two seasons, maximizing his earning power while handcuffing the Lakers, who have not returned to the playoffs since he signed the deal.

"David West, a lot of people think he's crazy," Falk said. "You look at what Kobe did two years ago. They offered him the money, and he took it. It basically made it impossible for him to win a sixth championship. I'm not criticizing him. For me, I think the chance to win, at that level, you're going to be judged by how many championships you won. To me, what David did was terrific. I'm not saying every player should do it, or I would recommend it for every player."

Only in the NBA

The notion of leaving money on the table as a free agent is largely an NBA phenomenon. Several NFL players renegotiate contracts for the purposes of fitting better teammates on the roster, most famously Tom Brady. But many players, even stars, are pressured to renegotiate deals that aren't guaranteed.

Major League Baseball operates without a salary cap, of course, which enables teams to splurge for as many stars as they can sign. Baseball also boasts the strongest players union. Baseball players, almost by rule, take into account those who will come behind them while negotiating their own contracts, not wanting to suppress the market.

"I had to really think of what I was doing, and you have to think about the market," Hall-of-Famer right-hander Pedro Martinez said. "The Players Association is really strong and works together like a wolf pack. I became a free agent in two years that were a turning point for baseball in terms of the market. I had to be careful how I chose because it would affect the market. If I take a pay cut, from there on, everything else goes down. Thank God I never was in a position where I had to take a big chunk of money off my salary to go somewhere. I'll tell you what, though: The ring I got in 2004 is priceless to me. It doesn't matter what you give me, how much money, I would take my ring."