Those used as training bait also do the community stuff too. They are also generally contracted for almost a full year now. It's not unreasonable to pay that sort of small salary for an almost full time job.

Easily done, but it would requitre the team to train say, 6-8pm every night to cater for the fact that some will have to work. No big deal and the full time pros on the team still get there weight sessions/individuals etc. A lot harder for those at the end of the bench but if you want it badly enough....
Gee, this sounds remarkably similar to how the league started off. Again I'll say it....basketball in this country is a semi professional sport masquerading as a pro sport.

Development players or training bait are typically unpaid yet must attend all team training sessions & normally do at least as many community engagements as roster players. Since most teams train during the day, it makes it extremely difficult to hold down a regular job or study while being part. Personally I'm against that kind of exploitation & think they deserve at least some kind of minimum wage for the time they put in or at the very least an ex gratia payment to cover their costs.

It's a huge jump from this to the $37K mimimum contracted player rate when in reality these guys at 9/10 or lower do little more so there is a case to take a little from them to give to the unpaid training fodder & DPs. Doing it to save the clubs money though is surely robbing the poor to subsidise the rich which should not be what sport is about.

I think you would quickly run into mimimum wage issues when you get down too low. I'm surprised some clubs haven't been in strife over this as it is.

I reckon it is too high as Isaac said,

Are development players say Tom Daly paid at all?

Given its only a 6 month season, could easily drop it to around 10-15k per season and only ask them to attend 1 training per week, so they can work/study full time. If clubs are able to train at night to help players fit it in then thats great.

ABA players would have full time jobs and most earn less than this wouldnt they? ie what would Daly or Warbout or someone like Truslove make playing ABA? I reckon NBL teams just need to match that and have the top ABA players from there local area fill the 9th, 10th in some cases 8th spots on the roster. Ie if they make 10k playing ABA training 1 night a week, then NBL teams could offer them 10k to do the same during the NBL season, not unreasonable imo, and gives the guys an opportunity to prove themselves and work there way to full time spots on rosters.

Could be one way to save some money for teams. All beit not huge money.

Could they look at a 1 million, 9 players salary cap, with any extra players out of the cap.

Catch is any player not under the cap can only play a max of 10 mins game time or something.

If a player gets injured then they move out of the cap and the replacement moves in. So the cap is checked before each game or something.

I disagree that it should be lowered Isaac. I would say around half of these players arent local, so $37000 is already low for them to afford rent/furniture/car/petrol.
Look at it this way - a player from victoria comes back from college and gets signed by say Perth for $37000.
You would assume they have next to nothing in their bank account since they arrived home from college in May after 4 years and need to report to their new town within a month to start training so no time to find a quick job. They must immediately find a place to live which means applying for rentals which takes time. Rentals obviously demand bond plus a couple of weeks rent upfront. Assume they rent with another person, in Perth this would be say $1000 ($600 bond plus $400 for two weeks rent).
Then lets assume the house is furnished, otherwise add in purchasing bed, fridge, couch, TV, pots pans utensils, filling the fridge and pantry with food etc
Now, player needs a car. The club provides for imports only or new signings from interstate. Can't get a loan = haven't had a job for 4 years that they have been in college. Have to get money for this somehow to be able to fulfil school visits etc.
All up that could be close to $5000 just to get started, with no guarantee of a second year contract as most first year players are on one year deals. Imagine moving to a new state for a job, but having nothing in the bank, getting paid $630 a week after tax, not having a car, a place to live or being able to apply for loans or credit cards.
This is what players currently are faced with. Let alone DP's from different states who get paid close to $0 who have to do all the same training sessions and community appearances plus get a job...
Of course none of that matters if the players parents are well off and happy to support them haha, but it's unlikely that is the case.
Sorry about the rant!!

@juno77
I personally think the salary cap should be lowered to around 800K but dont think it should be at the expense of the guys 8-10 who are either new to the league or 'waiting for a break' to get into the main rotation.
I was simply noting what it is actually like for players in that situation from what I have been told from close friends who have experienced it.
Cheers

I'm not sure what it's like today but I had a close friend who was a 9th/10th guy on the bench a few years ago who was on the minimum wage which I think was around 30k at the time. He really struggled to make ends meat because because $575 a week before tax isn't much to live on when your living in the city.

He ended up being forced to find part time work and would work in a bar that was a club sponsor most nights of the week.

He always said he was tired and it wasn't ideal but he wouldn't have changed it for the world because he go to live his dream.

Ultimatley what I'm trying to say is for these guys working 15-20 hours in an easy job wouldn't kill them if the reward is they get to play the game they love every weekend.