Pick, Trade, Free Agent: Do you speak NBA?

Pick, Trade, Free Agent: Do you speak NBA?

VIENNA. Why Jakob Pöltl was just a pbadenger during his transfer

His time in Toronto has expired, Jakob Pöltl moved to the San Antonio Spurs. Image: APA / HELMUT FOHRINGER

During a family vacation in Carinthia, basketball player Jakob Pöltl learned Wednesday afternoon that his Toronto Raptors club had handed him to the San Antonio Spurs. The 22 year old Viennese was only a "pbadenger" in this transfer and, as a commodity, became part of a barter transaction. In football, this would be unthinkable, for the NBA basketball pros, this practice is "Part of the game". The most important vocabulary of the American professional league:

Franchise: The 30 teams badembled in the NBA are not clubs, but are referred to as licensees or franchisees. They can be bought and sold, in addition to the owner, the location or the name of the team can be changed.

Trade: Trade with professionals is accompanied almost as intensely by the media as sports events. In their own "Trade Trackers", interplay games are commented. Incidentally, Pöltl's job took place as follows: San Antonio Spurs star Kawhi Leonard and his team-mate Danny Green set up at the Raptors in Toronto, while Canadians sent their best men DeMar DeRozan and Pöltl at the Spurs. In addition, the Toronto Spurs are getting a first-round pick in 2019.

Draft pick: In the NBA system project 60 young players in two rounds of league elections are split. In terms of balanced league, the weakest teams are allowed to vote first (the order is established according to a special system). The right to a "first round choice" can also be exchanged during a transfer. Pöltl was "hacked" by the Raptors in NBA Draft 2016.

Free agent: After the expiry of his contract, a "free agent" player can decide for himself where to pursue his career. he is a sought after man. Super-star LeBron James joined the Los Angeles Lakers as a free agent last week, earning 130 million euros. If a player is a "restricted free agent", his previous team may accept the offer of the competition. The player must then stay with his previous team

Cape Salary: The salary cap is the salary cap that determines how much a team is allowed to spend in season wages. However, this limit is stretchable by many rules of exception. For example, the salary cap for the 2017-2018 season was $ 99 million. Master Golden State Warriors was still paying his players about $ 133 million (115 million euros). (chz)

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