Silver hints at altering rules to maintain balance of power

LAS VEGAS — Having seen teams so blatantly trample freeagent recruiting rules, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was not about to deny the obvious. With teams and free agents coming to agreements this month only seconds after they were permitted to even talk with one another, he said rules need to be changed.

That might just be the start. Silver, speaking Monday at his annual news conference following the league’s summer board of governors meeting, seemed headed in the direction of more significant changes to the NBA free-agency system if “the balance of power is out of whack a little bit.”

With four years left in the collective bargaining agreement, Silver did not specify possible changes. But they might include ways to permit deal-making during the moratorium, to allow teams to negotiate with their own players, and possibly to move up when teams may begin negotiations.

“The one strong conviction I have is we should not have rules that are not strictly enforced, and we know that’s the case right now,” Silver said. “One of the things we talked (about) with the governors is other ways to do things.”

With that, Silver indicated an interest in considering changes more substantial than matching when teams are permitted to talk with free agents with when they actually do.

“I’m mindful of this notion of a balance of power,” Silver said. “An appropriate balance of power between the teams and the players … and among all our 30 teams — big market/small market, some markets that are perceived as being more attractive than others, tax issues, climate

issues. At the end of the day, you want to make sure you have a league where every team is in a position to compete.

“We continue to incrementally get better. My sense in the room today, especially when it comes to free agency and the rules around it: We have work to do.”

Silver went as far to say, “Frankly, things are being discussed that don’t fall squarely with the collective bargaining agreement that puts teams in a very difficult position because they’re reading or hearing other teams are doing things to compete.

“My job is to enforce a fair set of rules, a set of rules that are clear and fair for everyone. I think right now, we’re not quite there.”

In a summer in which a star player, Paul George, effectively forced his way off a team with two seasons left on his contract, Silver said players who have exercised power to that degree are limited to a small group. But he said it falls under the same issue of the “socalled rule of law.”

“You have a contract that needs to be meaningful on both sides,” Silver said. “Trade demands are disheartening. They are disheartening for the team. They are disheartening for the community. That’s an issue that needs to be addressed.”

He quickly went back to concern over the fairness of competition, repeating the stance that “we have some work to do there when it comes to free agency.”

“The stuff around the edges that is going on may have moved to a new level,” Silver said.

The most obvious issue when it comes to adherence to rules were free-agent negotiations that were complete as soon as they were permitted to begin.

“Obviously, deals are being announced immediately after the discussion period begins,” Silver said. “There are being prior discussions. To a certain extent, we always knew there was some leakage, some slippage around those deadlines. I think there was a certain amount that historically had been acceptable in the league. The consensus at our committee meetings and the board meeting (is) we need to revisit and reset those rules.

“No. 1, some of the rules we have in place may not make sense. I think it’s pointless to have rules that we can’t enforce. It hurts the perception of integrity around the league if people say, ‘You have that rule.’

“It’s obvious teams aren’t fully compliant, so why do you have it? The sense in the room is we should revisit those rules, think about what does make sense for those teams so we ultimately can create a level playing field for the teams, and the partner teams have confidence that their competitors are adhering to the same set of rules they are.”

Silver said “the marching orders” for the NBA are to spend several months considering changes the league can implement unilaterally and others that can be addressed with the players association in collective bargaining.

“There certainly was a sense that we can do a better job. Part of my role is to ensure that we are a league of rules and we ultimately have a level playing field. I think these are fixable issues.”