NBA Live 19 Features New Commentary Duo, Big Moments and More

[CMH]

I just hope that the updated franchise mode includes two things:



Actual competition for free agents.


Nothing is more disappointing in a sports franchise mode than to enter free agency after the season and be able to bid on sign all players without any back-and-forth or competition from the AI teams. Games that do this make it way too easy to shed salary, have cap room, and sign several All-Stars on your way to going from a 20-win has-been team to a 70-win dominant force in one off-season.


Realistic Free Agent demands

Star players can make 30% of the cap (I'm assuming these are younger stars that are not 10-year vets or signing for the super max). I'm not saying every CBA rule needs to be in. I know that stuff can be hard to include, but some basics should be included. There is no reason why Klay Thompson (who will likely be a free agent in the first off-season everyone plays) should be willing to sign for $20 mm / 3 years. It's unrealistic and stupid. Players like Klay should be demanding the max in terms of money and years. Make it realistic and fans will love the battle between picking a guy to bid on and building a team.


When players ask for less than the max (sometimes ridiculously less in all basketball games), it becomes too easy to, once again, have the cap space to sign several stars. I get that someone will argue "It happened for Miami!" Or "Durant signed for cheap to play for the Warriors." Great! Two real-life examples. Meanwhile, Clint Capela is out there waiting for the right deal because he wants to get paid. In Live 18, you can probably give Capela $10 mm for 3 years and he will gladly sign. I don't want that. I want a challenge.










*I remember trying out franchise mode when I first purchased Live 18. I immediately simmed to the end of the season and free agency was way too easy. I turned the Knicks into a powerhouse by having them sign a number of all-stars. There was no competition. I offered the demanded contract (might have even lowered some figures) and suddenly the guy was on my team. Not a single day had passed. Not a single offer was made by the computer AI.


That's when I decided to just focus on exhibition games. I loved Live exhibition. I picked two random teams, played as one, set my quarters to 12 minutes and went to work. I played a lot of games like that in 18. I would like to do the same for a franchise mode, knowing that I need to actually develop my players through the draft or get lucky in free agency instead of not caring because at the end of it all, I can just sign a bunch of 85 overall all-star free agents and still have cap room.