How much is an NBA superstar worth to you?
Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie took to Twitter Friday to announce his unorthodox plan for free agency this summer. The 27-year-old said he's going to allow fans to pick which NBA team he signs with next year, provided they pay him 2625.8 Bitcoin, valued at approximately $24.6 million USD.
If the money is raised, Dinwiddie said he'll sign a one-year, minimum-contract with whichever team the fans choose.
Unfortunately for Dinwiddie, the plan is entirely against NBA rules which prohibit players from circumventing the NBA salary cap:
"Neither the Players Association, the NBA, nor any Team (or Team Affiliate) or player (or person or entity acting with authority on behalf of such player), shall enter into any agreement, including, without limitation, any Player Contract (including any Renegotiation, Extension, or amendment of a Player Contract), or undertake any action or transaction, including, without limitation, the assignment or termination of a Player Contract, which is, or which includes any term that is, designed to serve the purpose of defeating or circumventing the intention of the parties as reflected by all of the provisions of this Agreement."
Regardless, Dinwiddie's announcement begs an interesting question: How much would Raptors fans pay to get an NBA superstar to come to Toronto?
Last year Raptors fans tried to entice Kawhi Leonard to stay in Toronto with "Ka'wine & Dine," offering the reigning Finals MVP free food for life if he re-signed with the Raptors. What if Toronto was allowed to step things up and actually start a GoFundMe to bring in a superstar? If the 20.5 million Canadians who reportedly tuned in to the 2019 NBA Finals all chipped in, Toronto could raise a boatload of cash, maybe enough to lure one of the superstar free agents available in 2021.
Aaron Rose covers the Toronto Raptors for Sports Illustrated. You can follow him on Twitter @aaronbenrose or on Facebook @AllRaptors.
