KCC's 'Big Four' is not enough, and 'Big Five' is formed... How to solve the problem of salary cap by recruiting Heo Hoon as an 'invitation'
KCC's 'Big Four' is not enough, and 'Big Five' is formed... How to solve the problem of salary cap by recruiting Heo Hoon as an 'invitation'
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Is the title of "super team" not enough? Busan KCC Egis has Heo Hoon (30), the biggest fish in the KBL free agent market this year. What choice will KCC make when realistic issues are considered.스포츠토토
KCC announced on the 28th that it has completed the recruitment of FA Huh Hoon for a five-year contract period and a total of 800 million won in remuneration (650 million won per year, 150 million won in incentives).
Heo Hoon is a superstar representing the KBL. He joined the pro league after being nominated by KT as the No. 1 overall pick in the KBL Rookie Draft in 2017, and he became the league's top guard by winning the MVP award in the 2019-20 regular season and the assist title for the second consecutive year.
When recruiting Huh Hoon, KCC said, "As a point guard, the recruitment of Huh Hoon, who has excellent game management ability, fast speed, and shooting ability, is expected to add stability in game management, scoring ability, and harmony between ball and water balance."
The recruitment of Heo Hoon has also been a gift to new coach Lee Sang-min (53). Earlier, Lee told Star News that he would try to fill up the mid-level ranks well when the FA players come out, but he resolved the issue by bringing in Kim Hoon (29) and Choi Jin-kwang (28). By recruiting Heo Hoon, Lee has made clear efforts to strengthen his capabilities.
Huh Woong (32), Heo Hoon's brother, is already playing for KCC. He has already established himself as the best star in the league, receiving the Popularity Award for six consecutive years, and moved to KCC ahead of the 2022-23 season, where he was named the MVP of the championship game the following year, contributing to his team's victory. Superstar's brother is now in the same team.
In addition to Heo Woong, KCC has a large number of big players including Choi Joon-yong (31), Song Kyo-chang (29), and Lee Seung-hyun (33), forming the "big four." They played a big role in KCC's playoff victory in the 2023-24 season. However, as Song Kyo-chang and Choi Jun-yong missed many games due to injuries last year, they failed to function properly, and ended up finishing ninth in the final season of former coach Jeon Chang-jin (62).
However, KCC did not choose to disband themselves. "Healthy KCC can challenge themselves to become president at any time," Lee said. "As (Choi) Jun-yong and (Song) Kyo-chang are still in rehabilitation, we will not overdo it." This meant that they would not make significant changes to the current structure.
Realistically, however, the salary cap will be problematic. The KBL salary cap for the 2025-26 season is 3 billion won. However, it is estimated that the combined annual salary of five players will be close to this. Since it is impossible to play basketball with just five players, annual salary for other players should be empty.
It is not easy for someone to do a so-called "paycut." It is also unlikely that KT will recruit high-salary players as compensation players. After all, if this happens, it will likely be difficult to maintain the Big Five. What choice will KCC make.