Collective Bargaining Agreement Rumors

Aldridge’s Latest: Hornets, CBA, Seattle, Casspi

November 21st, 2016 at 2:26pm CST by Luke Adams

The Hornets had several players eligible for free agency in the summer of 2016, and while they lost some players, such as Courtney Lee and Jeremy Lin, they were able to re-sign key pieces like Nicolas Batum and Marvin Williams, much to the relief of Kemba Walker.

“I was nervous as hell,” Walker told David Aldridge of NBA.com. “I didn’t want to lose those guys. I knew we couldn’t pay everyone. I wish we could have gotten a lot of the guys back, but unfortunately, the way this business works is it can’t happen all the time. Nic and Marv were high priority … I got a chance to go out to Dallas and be a part of Nic’s meeting. Me and [Michael Kidd-Gilchrist] flew out. It was super cool. We got a chance to sit in the room and say a few words.”

General manager Rich Cho admits the team was worried about potentially losing Batum. As Aldridge details, teams like the Mavericks and Wizards were interested in the veteran forward, but the Hornets didn’t want him to take a meeting with another team — and he didn’t.

Here’s more from Aldridge:

Barring any last-minute complications, the NBA and the NBPA will likely reach an official agreement on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement during the week of December 5, reports Aldridge. The league and the union will likely take the week after Thanksgiving to make sure everyone’s up to speed on the new deal before formally announcing it.
According to Aldridge, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson approached Chris Hansen and his investment group about getting involved in the Seattle arena project, rather than vice versa. While it may still be years before a new Seattle arena is built, Wilson’s cache and his willingness to invest in the project should only help, Aldridge writes.
While there’s no indication that they have interest, Aldridge believes the Wizards should look into trading for Omri Casspi, who has fallen out of favor in Sacramento. Casspi told Matt George of Cowbell Kingdom that he and Kings head coach Dave Joerger haven’t spoken since the preseason.

Adam Silver Talks CBA, Expansion, Draft Lottery

November 18th, 2016 at 8:54am CST by Luke Adams

Appearing on SiriusXM NBA Radio on Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver reiterated that he remains optimistic about the league and the players’ union reaching a deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement sooner rather than later. As Silver explains (Twitter link), he views the opt-out date of December 15 as a deadline of sorts, and is hopeful that the two sides can reach an agreement on or before that date.

Silver also weighed in a few more issues of note, so let’s round up a few of the highlights…

On the new CBA giving teams “additional opportunities” to lock up their own players (Twitter link): “One of the things that we’re talking about is coming up with some… advantages in terms of being able to negotiate earlier, to extend the contract. Under the way our rules our structured, your current team can offer you a longer contract [and] they can offer you more money. I think if we early-up some of those opportunities, at least teams will be in a better position to know whether they can keep that player. And if they can’t, there will be more of an opportunity to deal that player and get value for that player if it seems likely that player is going to leave.”
On the possibility of expanding the NBA beyond 30 teams (Twitter link): “In addition to the so-called super-team issue, we also have to be sure that we have 30 competitive teams, made up of strong rosters. I’m not sure right now that expansion, which would then in turn dilute the competition on our teams, is necessarily the right direction to go. … As much as I’d like to bring teams to other communities, I have to take into account what impact it’ll have both in terms of competition and financially on our existing teams, who will then get their payments from our national TV partners diluted.”
More on expansion: “I’ll say that we owe to our owners, our players, and our fans to take a fresh look at it on a regular basis. I think once we ultimately get this new Collective Bargaining Agreement done, I’m sure a committee of owners and people at the league office will turn back to it and do a very sophisticated analysis about whether expansion does make sense.”
On draft lottery reform (Twitter link): “I’m not exactly sure how I would change it at the moment, because it once again seems to be working pretty well.”
Addressing the practice of resting non-injured stars, Silver said he’d like to see teams do it in home games rather than road games, but noted he’s “super-reluctant” to try to set any rules for how teams and coaches should manage their players’ minutes (Twitter link).
Silver also suggested that an NBA team in Europe is unlikely to happen anytime soon, pointing to rest and logistics as roadblocks (Twitter link).

Latest On Collective Bargaining Agreement Talks

November 15th, 2016 at 2:51pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association should finalize the terms on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement within the next few weeks, reports Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer. A source familiar with the CBA negotiations tells O’Connor that a new agreement could be reached “just after Thanksgiving” or in “early December.”

According to O’Connor, negotiations between the league and the players’ union have gone smoothly so far, since there has been a good working relationship between commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, and both sides are in agreement on keeping the players’ share of basketball-related income at about the same rate it’s at under the current CBA.

O’Connor’s piece also features several more new details about the upcoming CBA, so let’s round those up…

According to O’Connor, the preseason schedule is expected to be cut down a little, perhaps to accommodate an earlier start to the regular season. That would allow schedule-makers to include fewer back-to-backs for teams during the season, and would make it easier to avoid any four-games-in-five-days stretches.
The NBA is expected to make changes to its domestic violence policy and its drug testing procedure. There has been a lack of consistency when it comes to suspensions and other penalties for domestic violence, so the new CBA figures to feature a more detailed and thorough policy.
While the players are still expected to get about 49-51% of the NBA’s basketball-related income, there will likely be an expanded definition of what constitutes BRI, per O’Connor.
Meanwhile, ESPN’s Marc Stein also has another update on the new CBA, writing that D-League salaries are set to increase significantly. Currently, D-League player salaries range from $19-26K, but the new CBA will increase those rates to something in the neighborhood of $50-75K, according to Stein. Two-way contracts are also expected to be a part of the new CBA, increasing NBA roster size from 15 players to 18.

Latest On Collective Bargaining Agreement Negotiations

November 8th, 2016 at 11:02am CST by Luke Adams

The NBA and the players’ union continue to make positive steps toward reaching a deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, according to Ian Begley and Dave McMenamin of ESPN.com. The ESPN duo reports that NBPA president Michele Roberts intends to meet with all NBA players in person over the next few weeks to discuss the league’s new labor agreement.

The opt-out deadline for the current CBA is on December 15, so the league and the union still have more than five weeks to strike a deal before either side needs to exercise that opt-out. Even if an agreement isn’t in place by that date, and one side or the other opts out, the current CBA wouldn’t expire until next summer, so there would still be plenty of time to work something out.

According to Begley and McMenamin, Roberts and the NBPA hope to meet with players in person to discuss details of the potential new agreement before finalizing the deal with the league.

Meanwhile, sources tell ESPN’s Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe that the two sides have made major progress in several areas of the CBA, including contract extension, restricted free agency, and qualifying offers. A few details on the proposed changes:

Players will likely be able to sign contract extensions two years after originally signing their current deal, rather than three years after their signing date.
Restricted free agents will be able to sign offer sheets starting on July 1, rather than waiting until the end of the July moratorium. Teams would then have 48 hours to match, instead of 72 hours.
Teams would no no longer be permitted to rescind qualifying offers to restricted free agents. Currently, teams are allowed to pull those QOs until July 31, and several teams took advantage of that rule this year, including the Thunder with Dion Waiters.

And-Ones: Stephens, Seattle, Childress, NBPA

October 27th, 2016 at 11:43am CST by Luke Adams

Former University of Memphis standout D.J. Stephens has been arrested and charged with domestic aggravated assault, writes Yolanda Jones of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Stephens, who was in camp with the Grizzlies this month before being waived last weekend, is accused of attacking his child’s mother. The alleged incident reduces Stephens’ chances of getting another shot with an NBA team, but if he does sign with a club at some point, he could be facing a suspension, depending on the outcome of the case.

Let’s round up a few more odds and ends from around the NBA…

One NBA team owner tells Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net that getting a franchise back in Seattle is “a big priority” for the league. A new arena proposal from Chris Hansen‘s investment group has created renewed optimism about getting the NBA back to the city, though it doesn’t sound as if the league has gone too far down the road on planning potential expansion or relocation. “I don’t think it’s been thought out that far along yet,” a source tells Amico.
A Wednesday report from Chris Reichert of The Step Back suggested that former Hawks forward Josh Childress, who last played in the NBA during the 2013/14 season, had signed a D-League contract. However, Reichert has since removed his tweet, and Childress’ agent – Daniel Moldovan of Entersport – denied the report (Twitter link).
Jon Wertheim of SI.com spoke to NBPA executive director Michele Roberts about the optimism surrounding the Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations, and what she and the players’ union hope to get out of a new deal.

League, NBPA Nearing Agreement To Extend CBA By Seven Years

October 24th, 2016 at 9:18pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBA and NPBA are working on a seven-year extension to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, with a mutual opt-out in six years, league sources informed Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The seven-year deal could result in NBA labor peace through the 2023/24 season, unless the opt-outs are exercised in 2022, Wojnarowski adds. The new pact would begin starting next season. The league and the union have a mutual opt-out date for the current arrangement on December 15th, but this new CBA agreement should be finalized over the next few weeks, Wojnarowski notes.

One aspect the new CBA will alter is the amount of the mid-level exception, increasing the salary from its current value of $5.6MM for a season to approximately $8MM, Marc Stein of ESPN.com relays (via Twitter). Wojnarowski, in a previous piece, relayed a number of the other aspects of the new CBA that are being worked on, which include:

The NBA and union have tentatively agreed to change the 36-and-over rule that now prohibits players from signing a five-year maximum contract if their 36th birthday occurs within the life of the deal, Wojnarowski relayed. Under the new CBA, the age will be bumped to 38-and-over, which would have significant financial implications for superstars in the twilight of their careers.
The league’s Basketball Related Income (BRI) split will remain unchanged in a new agreement, league sources told the scribe. The players receive a share in the range of 49 to 51% of the current BRI.
The NBA will raise rookie-scale, veteran minimum and free-agent exception deals in the new agreement, per Wojnarowski’s sources. Rises in those salaries could come in the 50% range over current numbers, according to the article.
The NBA will keep its “one-and-done” rule with college basketball, retreating on its original desire to make college players wait two years after high school graduation to become eligible for the NBA draft, writes Wojnarowski.
Two-way contracts between the NBA and NBA D-League will offer teams the chance to add 16th and 17th roster spots, and pay players differently based upon their assignments in either the league’s minor league or as part of the parent team, league sources told the Vertical scribe.

And-Ones: CBA, Thabeet, Parker, Chalmers, Trades

October 21st, 2016 at 6:31pm CST by Luke Adams

Multiple positive reports about the progress of Collective Bargaining Agreement negotiations surfaced on Thursday, suggesting that a new CBA deal may not be done yet, but it’s getting close. NBA commissioner Adam Silver agrees with that assessment, telling reporters today that a new CBA isn’t “done-done” yet, but could be finalized in the “not-too-distant future” (Twitter link via Howard Beck of Bleacher Report).

Here are a few more odds and ends from across the NBA:

Former second overall pick Hasheem Thabeet hasn’t played in an NBA game in more than two years, but he’s still working hard to salvage his career, as Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders details. Kennedy takes a closer look at Thabeet’s training regimen, adding that the Knicks, Lakers, and Wizards have all recently worked out the 29-year-old.
Former Lakers guard Smush Parker hasn’t given up on the NBA either, according to Brian Rzeppa of D-League Digest, who says that the 35-year-old plans to play in the D-League this season.
Several NBA.com scribes – including David Aldridge, Scott Howard-Cooper, Fran Blinebury, and others – gave their two cents on the best fit for point guard Mario Chalmers, with the Cavaliers getting the most votes. The Clippers and Kings were also mentioned as potential suitors that would make sense for Chalmers, who is still recovering from an Achilles injury.
In a detailed piece for The Vertical, Bobby Marks examines looming roster decisions for all 30 teams around the NBA as they work to reach to the 15-man regular-season limit.
Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders provides some housekeeping details on a few offseason trades, reporting that the Clippers paid the Magic $230K in their C.J. Wilcox trade, the Jazz paid the Sixers $1.6MM in their Tibor Pleiss deal, and the Cavaliers paid the Sixers $1.8MM in their Sasha Kaun swap (all Twitter links).

Amnesty Clause Unlikely To Remain In Next CBA

October 20th, 2016 at 8:15pm CST by Dana Gauruder

There isn’t enough support among NBA owners to retain the amnesty clause in the new CBA, which could impact the Heat’s long-term decision on Chris Bosh, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports.

The amnesty clause was included in the past two CBAs, which allowed each team to waive one of its player contracts and have 100% of the player’s salary removed from the team’s salary for cap and tax purposes. The team still had to pay that player.

Without an amnesty clause included in the next agreement, the Heat would lose one of their best options regarding Bosh. They refuse to medically clear Bosh, whose last two seasons have been cut short by blood clots, leaving Bosh in limbo. Bosh has three years and approximately $76MM remaining on his contract.

The two sides are close to finalizing the new CBA, as Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported earlier. Windhorst offers a few more tidbits on the negotiations:

Players are expected to have the ability to sign an extension two years after the date they signed their current contract, rather than three seasons.
Restricted free agents will be able to agree to offer sheets on the first day of free agency — July 1 — instead of waiting to July 7. The window for teams to decide to match offer sheets would be reduced from 72 hours to 48 hours. That would make it more appealing for suitors to make those offers, since they are often hamstrung financially until a final decision is made.
Teams would no longer be able to pull qualifying offers from RFAs, which is currently allowed prior to July 31.

CBA Pact Close, One-And-Done Rule Stays

October 20th, 2016 at 5:26pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The NBA and the Players’ Association moved closer to a deal on a new Collective Bargaining Agreement during a meeting on Wednesday with most major items agreed upon, sources told Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical. The controversial “one-and-done” draft rule, in which players must be one year removed from high school to be draft eligible, will remain in place. The league retreated on its desire to revise the draft rule to two years after a player graduated high school, Wojnarowski adds.

The pact will be a seven-year deal, according to sports business expert Scott Soshnick (Twitter link).

The encouraging pace of the negotiations has been the biggest story during this NBA preseason. Both sides are trying to avert the December 15 deadline, when either the owners or players could opt out of the current agreement.

The owners and players believe a finalized deal is inevitable in the next few weeks, league sources told Wojnarowski. The NBPA is eager to sell the rank-and-file on the terms of a deal, which needs to be ratified, Wojnarowski adds.

Among the other details that league sources told Wojnarowski:

The NBA will change the 36-and-over rule that now prohibits players from signing a five-year maximum contract if their 36th birthday occurs within the life of the deal. The NBA and union have tentatively agreed to change the rule to over 38.
The league will raise rookie-scale, veteran minimum and free-agent exception deals in the 50 percent range over current numbers.
Two-way contracts between the NBA and the D-League will offer teams the chance to add 16th and 17th roster spots, and pay players differently based upon their assignments in either the league’s minor league or as part of the parent club.
The NBA and NBPA’s Basketball Related Income (BRI) split will be unchanged.

That’s not surprising, given that the Associated Press reported earlier this month that the BRI would remain in the 49 to 51 percent range. Taking care of retired players is a priority, Cavs superstar LeBron James told the AP recently, and the agreement will include new league-funded programs to help retired players with education and medical expenses. In exchange for those programs, and pending full approval from both sides, the BRI split would remain the same.

Community Shootaround: Potential CBA Changes

October 20th, 2016 at 10:21am CST by Luke Adams

Following the Clippers’ game in Sacramento on Tuesday night, NBPA president Chris Paul caught a flight to New York to participate in Wednesday’s meeting between the league and the players’ union, according to ESPN’s Marc Stein (via Twitter). The sitdown was the latest indication that the two sides are making progress on negotiations for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

There’s plenty of optimism that the NBA and NBPA will strike a deal well before the opt-out deadline of December 15, and while we don’t know exactly what changes will be made to the CBA, we’ve gotten some hints. We’re not expecting any massive, game-changing alterations to the league’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, but it seems as if plenty of smaller changes will be implemented to attempt to improve the game.

The league’s rookie scale system is expected to be adjusted so that it aligns more with salary cap increases, rather than increasing at a fixed rate. Veteran contract extensions are expected to be tweaked to make them more appealing to players, giving teams a better chance to lock up potential free agents before they reach the open market. The NBA’s draft and D-League are among the other areas expected to receive attention in CBA talks.

As Howard Beck details in a piece this week at Bleacher Report, the NBA also hopes to include a mechanism in the new CBA to prevent another massive spike in the salary cap, since this year’s $24MM+ increase was viewed as problematic. According to Beck, some team executive believe a new CBA might also adjust the maximum salary concept, making it a little harder for clubs to collect multiple superstars.

For today’s Community Shootaround, we’re asking this: What one change would you like to see the NBA and NBPA make to the CBA? Do you consider it crucial to address one of the areas mentioned above, or is there another are you believe the two sides should be focused on?

Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts on the subject, and feel free to get creative in your answers. Got an off-the-wall idea for NBA draft lottery reform or a new-look salary cap? Share it below, even if it’s unlikely to be implemented in the next CBA.