The franchise tag IS one of the ideas that has been floated as the NBA heads into talks with the players union.  There's also talk of capping it so that teams could only have two max contracts, but that's way too easy to get around.  I like the franchise tag, but they'll have to give up a lot if they think they're going to get the players union to agree to it.  The NFL can do it because their players union blows - they don't even have guaranteed contracts.

As for all of the endorsements for the lesser players that are going to be lining up to join the new Legion of Doom, go ask Horace Grant how many endorsements his rings with the Bulls and Lakers got him.