169k wow! League average is 94, tho I'm guessing for those without a NT player its maybe in the 80s?
Yea the merch is the difference for me, I had a 820k salary team most of this season and was making a profit weekly, tho with 0 scouting and bare minimum staff. Couldn't afford Dube & Logsdon without the merch $. Mine is 154k/wk, but it varies. Goes from about 90 to 120 with 1 200k NTer, and 120 to 150 with 2 200kers. So my 210k guards are actually 180k guards.
There is some risk though, obviously the NT roster is competitive, and making the roster is no sure thing for any player not named Bronson. If they do make the roster its possible they might not see minutes in any given week due to GS or the gameplan. Even Logsdon wasn't on the roster most of this season. But if you buy a high salary American we try our best to support you and get those players on the team.
So if you are thinking of buying a 200k big, maybe a 250k USA NTer like Johnson might be a better option ;)