I think it's more than the CBT though. There's a correction coming in sports business revenue across the board with the changing cable tv landscape. I always thought baseball would be the first to adapt because their CBA offers more budget flexibility than other leagues. I expect average salaries will inch down over the next few years, and agents are going to have to adjust their asks.
The leveling off of team payrolls just under the cap is a strong indicator that the primary force in budgeting is the CBT. I predict that the average payroll for teams under the cap last year will continue to rise, and of course teams that were over the cap are all cutting back.
