NBA, players’ union reach tentative deal for new CBA
The NBA and National Basketball Players Association reached a tentative deal on a new collective bargaining agreement, the two sides announced Wednesday.
The new seven-year deal ensures labor peace through the 2023-24 season and a run of 13 consecutive years without a lockout. Credit goes to the league and players for striking an agreement six months before it became a serious issue in late June.
Of course, it’s easier to reach a deal when money isn’t a contentious sticking point, like it was during the 2011 lockout.
In order to give both sides enough time to review the terms of the agreement and vote to ratify, the parties have agreed to extend the mutual deadline to opt out of the existing CBA from December 15, 2016, to January 13, 2017. Ratification requires a simple majority from owners and simple majority from players.
Here are the key details:
The split of backetball related income (BRI) will remain an
income (BRI) will remain an approximate 51%-49% split in favor of player, and an expanded definition of BRI is expected to benefit players and owners financially. Players are expected to receive $1.5 billion more next season than they did in first season (2011-12) of previous deal.
Rookie scale salaries, veteran
minimum salaries and certain free-agent salary exceptions, including the mid-level exception, will increase. The entry age for the NBA draft will remain 19, and US players must also be one year removed from high school to enter the draft. The preseason will be shortened, and the regular season will be longer in an effort to further reduce the number of back-to-back games and four games in five nights that teams play. The players' union will handle negotiations with companies for a player-likeness in licensing agreements, just as it is for the NFL, MLB and NHL. For the past three decades, the NBA handled those negotiations, and it was a 50-50 split. The NBA is expected to work with the union in those player-likeness negotiations. The NBA will remain in control of trademarks/logos and team name licensing rights.
New CBA includes domestic
violence policy focused on education, resources, support, treatment and counseling.
“It’s amazing. I’m excited,” said union president Chris Paul of the LA Clippers. “I’m happy for our fans, the owners involved. It’s a great thing.”
The league’s average salary is expected to jump from the $5 million range to nearly $9 million annually, with significant jumps – approximately 45 percent – planned for rookie-scale deals, minimum-salary contracts and some free-agent exceptions, including the mid-level exception.
Maximum roster size, though, will rise from 15 to 17 players, with the extra slots earmarked for players on “twoway contracts,” as seen in the NHL. Those contracts stipulate that a player’s salary is based on NBA minimums when the player is “up” and an estimated $75,000 when the player is on assignment in the NBA Development League.
“The game is going great for both the owners and players,” Chicago Bulls guard Dwyane Wade said. “We talked about having a real partnership in the last labor negotiations. These are definitely signs that things are going in the right direction.”
“I think everyone negotiated in good faith,” Paul said. “The conversations were great. Everything was cordial. Everyone knows how well the game is going and didn’t want to mess that up.”