So first off, I want to say this is a genuine question because I have no idea how these contractual things work. But the Warner Bros./TNT offered to match one of the offers for the new media rights deal (I think it was Amazon’s), and the NBA said “no, that’s not a ‘true’ match.”

So I’m assuming what happened is WB matched the dollar amount, but Amazon has far more subscribers/viewers, so the NBA is going to argue that WB couldn’t truly match it because of the growth potential Amazon gives them. That’s all well and good, and I totally get that, but isn’t that exactly how restricted free agency works?

Let’s say a restricted free agent bench player for the Hornets signs with the Knicks to be a starter. Well, Charlotte can match the dollar amount, but they can’t give the player a ‘true’ match given all the other circumstances. Can’t the player now argue (even ignoring the venue/small market/big market aspect) that New York gives him a better opportunity for more minutes, and growth potential, both as a player and a “brand”? Or am I missing something here?