Adam Silver says NBA intends to opt out of CBA if Friday deadline not met

Adam Silver says NBA intends to opt out of CBA if Friday deadline not met; NBPA calls decision 'disappointing'

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/adam-silver-says-nba-intends-to-opt-out-of-cba-if-friday-deadline-not-met-nbpa-calls-decision-disappointing-230504606.html

Jason Owens
Wed, March 29, 2023 at 7:05 PM EDT

NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters on Wednesday the league intends to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement on Friday if a mutually agreed-upon deadline isn't met, a decision the NBPA called "disappointing."

Silver made his comments on the heels of a two-day meeting of league owners as the NBA and NBPA are in the midst of negotiating a new CBA that would take effect when the current expires after the 2023-24 season. The two sides previously agreed to a deadline of Friday at midnight that would allow either side to opt out of the current CBA effective June 30.

The sides have already extended previous such deadlines in order to continue negotiations without the specter of an expiring CBA. They did so in December and again in February, which extended the deadline to March 31. Silver said Wednesday the league won't extend the deadline again if a new CBA isn't reached by Friday.

"If we don’t have a deal by this Friday night and nothing else were to happen, yes, it would be our intention to opt out of the current deal," Silver told reporters when asked about the league's plans.

NBPA: NBA opt-out would be 'disappointing'

NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio issued a statement, including to Yahoo Sports, in response to Silver's that the union "does not intend to opt out." The NBA's pending decision to opt out would leave the league at risk of a lockout if a new CBA isn't reached by June 30.

"The March 31st deadline is an important benchmark, and we are doing everything in our power to reach an agreement with the league. If we don't have a deal and the league decides to opt out, it will be disappointing considering all the work both sides have put into the negotiations, and the fair nature of our requests. As far as our fans are concerned, it will be business as usual. Games will continue uninterrupted. The NBPA however does not intend to opt out," Tremaglio's statement reads.

Adam Silver said that the NBA is prepared to opt out of the CBA if a Friday deadline isn't met. (Kirby Lee/Reuters)

Silver emphasized the league's decision to opt out wouldn't portend the collapse of negotiations, but described failing to meet Friday's deadline as a potential "lost opportunity."

"It doesn’t therefore mean, though, that the deal will sunset at the end of June, because we’ll still have April, May and June to negotiate a collective bargaining agreement," Silver said. "I still think it would be a lost opportunity in this window because I think the pressure — by the way, both sides have the right to opt out."

He also didn't rule out the hypothetical scenario of extending the deadline by "a few more days."

"I could imagine if it came midnight Friday night, and we were having a productive discussion and somebody said, 'We could use a few more days,' we would agree to a few more days," Silver said. "But that’s more of a hypothetical. It’s not a discussion we’ve had with them."

The current CBA was initially agreed upon in 2017 and included the mutual June 30 opt-out option upon its ratification.

NBA hasn't had lockout since 2011

The NBA last saw a work stoppage in 2020 in the form of a wildcat strike initiated by Milwaukee Bucks players during the NBA bubble. That brief stoppage was part of a social justice protest in response to the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The last NBA work stoppage related to a labor dispute took place in 2011. Team owners initiated a lockout on July 1 of that year that lasted until the league and union reached terms on revenue sharing and salary cap conditions on Nov. 26. The stoppage cost the league 16 games that season as teams played a 66-game regular season schedule.

Hard salary cap proposal has reportedly been a wedge

Neither side has engaged in public negotiations thus far, but a proposed hard salary cap that sources described to the Associated Press as an “upper spending limit” appears to be at issue. Per the AP, the proposal would eliminate the luxury tax that allows teams to spend over the current soft salary cap via a financial penalty.

For example, the Golden State Warriors spent nearly $350 million in salary and luxury tax last season en route to winning the NBA championship. The salary cap last season was $112.4 million. Per AP, the Warriors are spending $360 million this season, nearly four times as much as the San Antonio Spurs and three times the Memphis Grizzlies.

Per the report, the league proposal would replace the luxury tax system with a hard salary cap. The NBPA is not interested in the plan, per AP.

Other issues reportedly on the table are eliminating the "one-and-done" rule that prohibits players from joining the NBA straight out of high school and installing game minimums for players to qualify for season-ending awards.

Silver described negotiations as having a "very positive tenor" and expressed "hope" toward getting a deal done by Friday.

Just when I thought that nothing could make my attitude worse...


Bob


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bobheckler wrote:Just when I thought that nothing could make my attitude worse...


Bob


.

You make it sound like watching bad basketball is better than watching no basketball.

First Starbucks now the NBA.

It takes a labor union to totally screw up any organization.

(Full and Fair Disclosure: The opinions of the poster do not necessarily reflect the opinions or view of Sam's Celtics Forum. Contrary to expressed opinion, the poster has agreements with various labor unions that may result in the earning of fees. The poster is not expressing nor intending a reference to any political party, group, or natural person, living or dead. Any interpretation or representation to the contrary is an abstract figment of any individual imagination, drug or alcohol induced or naturally occurring. The poster has been referred to in this particular medium as an evil capitalist. In writing this opinion, no influence has been rendered from outside agencies, domestic or foreign. No thumbs were used on the keyboard in the writing of this passage, excepting the use of the spacebar at the end of each sentence.)

Unions for Life. UFL!

Full and Fair Disclosure:

Sorry NY Celt, you are talking to the wife of a Union President for ten years. Without that union, healthcare would have been down the toilet, and many many other issues. As you said, this is the opinion of the poster, not the board. But we are a union family, my father in law was a big wig in his union for many years.

I'm more interested in the side dishes, it appears, as there is no mention of how the owners are going to deal with the Kyrie/BS Not Showing Up For Work image problem.  

You've heard where I stand on unions.  The NBAPA is a union in name only and is a complete distortion of the original intent of unions that helped build this country from its industrial infancy.  Unions were created for and the protection of the masses, not the classes.  But that's what you have here.

When your union says, "We're disappointed" with the owners choice to opt out, the NBAPA has now played their resigned hand that they are on the short end of the the upcoming stick. Get ready for a lock out.  

db

Came from a big Union family.  Go Unions!

The results of their work can still be seen like the old John Hancock 26 story building. My dad was a brick mason (Unionized) and he worked on that building.  My uncle worked on the Sumner Tunnel around 1931.  He was in the union and was a welder.

It does not matter if you are looking at a union with thousands or members or a small union in a very specialized sports occupation.  Unions are about collective bargaining.  

Let's not delve too deeply into social related issues because if each of us really knew how each of us felt about everything, we would probably hate each others guts.

Remember, June 6, 1946, New York, NY.  The NBA will figure it out.

Thanks Dboss, thought I was alone on an island

RosalieTCeltics wrote:Thanks Dboss, thought I was alone on an island

Rosalie

You are certainly not alone. People tend to lean heavily on their experiences. I still support the business/worker partnership. When in balance, it creates positive outcomes for both sides

Nope. Not alone at all. Been part of various Unions for years. Scabs tried to ruin us in Boston at W.I.LD radio when they crossed the picket line. We finally won over and the Scabs were back home on the Unenjoyment line.

PS. One of the Scabs produced this years Golden Globe awards and is married to Chante Moore.
Looks like he made out but he’s still Skum to me. UFL!!

Count me in .Curt Flood gave up his career to put an end to the reserve clause in baseball, leading to court decisions that relieved the players from the stranglehold owners had on them.. Unions protect workers from employer over-reach and allow pro athletes to manage, at least to some extent, their careers. As a lifelong fan of two dynastic teams, one of which I will, for the time being, keep to myself, I loved the fact that they were able to keep teams together in the old days. Not at the expense of worker's rights though.

Sorry for the double post. I can't seem to delete the second one

jrleftfoot wrote:Sorry for the double post. I can't seem to delete the second one

It happens sometimes. Hit send once, it hesitates, hit send again just in case, now there's two.

No worries, I deleted one of them.

Thanks gyso. I need to be more patient

Shows you how much my DA knows about CBA...NBA and NBAPA agree tentatively early this am...7 more years of uninterrupted B-ball coming!!

I like the the band-aid they put on the Kyrie/BS Clause. Must play 65 games a season to qualify for the max/super max if I understood correctly. That was directly launched at those two knuckleheads. That will create some interesting decisions if you are indeed injured and getting close to the mark. Come out there and limp around for 3-4 plays and that counts for a game?! We'll see. Looks like the owners won't be picking up the players tab anymore, though.

db

Other than the year where Ben Simmons and Philly was at odds and his request to be traded which he has a right to do especially when your superstar teammate and Head Coach stab you in the back, he has been legitimately hurt. This season for sure. So I wouldn’t put him in the same category as Kiarrhea.
His head issues I believe are legitimate too. Very few players have taken this steep of a fall so there is a lot going on there with Simmons. (As you can probably tell I kinda feel sorry for him)

There's a lot going on with Kiarrhea too. His head issues are clouded buy his overblown self absorbed Ego.