The NBA and National Basketball Players Association could have a new collective bargaining agreement finalized in the near future after reportedly making “significant progress” in negotiations.
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported “a deal is within sight,” with most major points agreed to. Wojnarowski added the “one-and-done” college rule will remain in place as well. Wojnarowski also noted the league and players association’s Basketball Related Income split will remain at 49 percent for the players and 51 percent for owners. The rule barring players from signing five-year contracts if they turn 36 during the length of the contract has also been increased to age 38, per Wojnarowski.
“I think the best thing about it, we started the conversation a long time ago,” LeBron James said on Monday, per NBA.com. “We’re very optimistic on both sides, from the players’ association to the owners, to Adam Silver that we can get something done, and I think we can get something done. And I think it all started because we started the conversations early, ways we could better our league.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reported the new deal could be done within the next “several weeks.” The NBA and NBPA have until Dec. 15 to exercise an opt-out clause in the current CBA, which was ratified in 2011 after a lengthy lockout.
Few concrete details regarding the labor discussions have been made public. Wojnarowski noted the two sides have agreed to a significant increase in rookie-scale contracts and a deal that would allow two-way contracts between the NBA and NBA Development League.
New CBA Unlikely to Provide Major Changes to League Structure
The current CBA had an original length of 10 years, but few expect it to get past the 2016-17 season, giving both sides an opportunity to renegotiate.
That we’re seemingly nearing a period of labor harmony is a credit to Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts, who are both seated at the head of the table for the first time. Silver was former Commissioner David Stern’s longtime second-in-command and sat by his side as he battled former NBPA chief Billy Hunter in 2011.
Hunter, who has been criticized for major losses suffered by players and his practices while running the association, was replaced by Roberts in July 2014. The first woman to run a union in major professional sports, Roberts has drawn rave reviews for her transparency and willingness to fight for the players.
“It’s important for the game that we be able to speak regularly,” Roberts told Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated regarding her relationship with Silver. “I think, unlike, and I won’t name the other sport, but when the commissioner and the head of the PA can’t have an adult conversation, that doesn’t bode well, for the game or anyone. And so, we do speak regularly.”
Given the expeditious nature of the proceedings, it seems unlikely that we’ll see any major changes to the distribution of basketball-related income or maximum player salaries. BRI was at the center of the 2011 lockout, with players relenting from the previous 57-43 split in their favor to a 50-50 split. The sport is also in a better place than five years ago, with record revenues leading to a massive cap spike and teams selling for hundreds of millions of dollars more than their expected value.
Any radical requests, such as the elimination of maximum contracts or guaranteed deals, would have almost certainly resulted in a more contentious process.
Courtesy: Bleacher Report
