NBA, NBPA reach tentative agreement on reported 7-year CBA that includes in-season tournament

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/nba-nbpa-reach-tentative-agreement-on-reported-7-year-cba-that-includes-in-season-tournament-064545059.html

Johanna Huybers
Sat, April 1, 2023 at 2:45 AM EDT

The NBA and NBA Players Association tentatively reached an agreement on a new collective bargaining agreement, the sides announced early Saturday. The agreement must go to the players and the league’s Board of Governors to be ratified.

The two sides had previously agreed to a midnight ET Saturday deadline that would have allowed either side to opt out of the current agreement after the deadline passed, but worked to ensure a new deal was in place. The new CBA is reportedly for seven years and includes a mutual opt-out after the sixth year. It will reportedly begin in the 2023-24 season, replacing the current deal.

The new CBA will run through the 2029-30 season unless either side opts out after the 2028-29 season. The agreement means the league will avoid a work stoppage, which was always an unlikely situation. The last major stoppage was in the 2011-12 season, which was reduced to 66 games.

NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio released a statement following the announcement:

[Note: Use link (above) to see tweet]

New provisions in CBA

Among the major inclusions in the new CBA: the long-discussed in-season tournament and a minimum game requirement for major end-of-season awards, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The in-season tournament could begin next season with the expectation that it would include games as part of the regular-season schedule in pool play and an eight-team, single-elimination tournament in December, according to ESPN. The semifinals and final are expected to be played in a neutral location. The tournament championship game would add one game to two teams’ schedules, but the remaining teams would continue to play 82 regular-season games. The winning team reportedly would receive $500,000 per player in prize money, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Players would need to appear in a minimum of 65 games for consideration in major awards, including MVP and All-NBA teams. The game requirement is in response to load management that has plagued the league in recent seasons. Many of the league’s stars are missing games, leaving fans at the mercy of the late injury reports to know whether they will see these players in person.

A new luxury tax level — estimated at $17.5 million above the current luxury tax, according to ESPN — also was established in the CBA that prevents teams from using midlevel exceptions in free agency. The league was pushing for an “upper spending limit” or a hard salary cap, which would have established a ceiling on how much teams could spend. Some teams are willing to pay a luxury tax that matched or even exceeded their total player salary payroll, which could be viewed as a disadvantage to smaller-market teams. The new luxury tax level is a seeming compromise. This change reportedly will be phased in over several seasons.

In response to the new luxury tax level, there could be new trade exceptions for teams that do not spend at the top of the tax. This could create new opportunities for teams to add players in free agency. Those changes are not yet fully known. Another way that teams can add additional players comes from an increase in two-way contract slots from the current two to three in the new deal, according to ESPN.

The CBA also increases the upper limits on veteran players’ contract extensions from the current 120% increase to a 140% increase, according to ESPN.

Among the minor changes is formally removing marijuana from the league’s anti-drug testing program, according to Charania. Marijuana will no longer be prohibited under the new deal, but the league has not formally tested for the substance since the 2019-20 season.

Among the notable changes that were not included in the agreement was changing the league’s “one-and-done” rule that prohibits high school players from entering the NBA Draft. The policy was discussed, according to the Associated Press, but will not be included in the CBA.

gyso

Thank you for posting the CBA agreement summary. I 'll share my questions and thoughts.

The new in season tournament is interesting. Assuming all teams will participate. Will this be a scrub vs the best tournament to start?

Is the $17 million increase in the luxury tax threshold for the 23-24 season only?

Indications say that a 3rd 2-way player can be added. That is great however the significant change that needed to be made was to allow 2-way guys to be eligible for the playoffs.

The one and done conundrum will remain in place. It is my opinion that the rule that restricts an 18 year old or younger player from being drafted is flat out age discrimination.

The 140% limit increase for veterans like Jaylen Brown has been agreed upon. He should flat out reject an offer like that from the Celtics and hit UFA in 24.

How will the new CBA affect the Boston Celtics?

https://www.yahoo.com/sports/cba-affect-boston-celtics-201148724.html

Justin Quinn
Sat, April 1, 2023 at 4:11 PM EDT

The NBA and National Basketball Players’ Association (NBPA) have come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) to cover the coming seasons, evading a potential work stoppage ahead of a highly-anticipated and lucrative new media rights deal and potential expansion of the league.

But with that new CBA comes new wrinkles to how things are done in the league in ways that can affect the Boston Celtics as a high-salary ball club that is in the middle of a contention window given at least some of the incoming changes were designed to make life tougher for franchises with big payrolls.

Let’s dive into what’s new, and how (or if) it will impact Boston and its designs on contention.

New extension rules

This one could, in theory, help the Celtics with the looming free agency of star forward Jaylen Brown. We say in theory because Brown is unlikely to avail himself of the new rules that would let him extend his current contract by as much as 140% instead of the current 120%.

This is because the Georgia native is potentially eligible for a supermax deal that would pay him considerably more if he makes All-NBA this or next season, meaning Brown will likely continue to push for that payday so long as he is able.

Different luxury tax rules

This change will affect the Celtics no matter what, and it entails the league and NBPA agreeing to bigger tax brackets for teams that spend over the cap to reflect the growth of the salary cap from the last CBA, but it also penalizes teams that spend more than $17.5 million above the tax line.

Teams that spend that highly will lose their taxpayer midlevel exception, taking away a teambuilding tool to try and rebalance competitive balance away from ball clubs willing to pay big tax bills some smaller-market squads may struggle to keep up with.

More two way player spots

The league has been leaning harder on their G League affiliates to find talent around the margins and underlooked prospects and as such the number of two way players from two slots to three.

This move ought to help Boston much given they will need to find different ways to add talent to the team given they may not have a midlevel exception slot available to them as a heavy taxpayer for the foreseeable future.

The in-season tournament is here

This one isn’t exactly a massive force that will shape how the club runs its season, but the prospect of converting games that will be counted as part of the regular season to the league calendar with $500,000 prize money for the winning team ought to change the season’s arc.

But how? We’re not very sure just yet, but it could boost the level of energy early in the season when interest is a little lower from fans with competing sports going on — and from players whose earnings might be more notably impacted by that prize.

Introduction of 65-game requirement for major awards

This shouldn’t have a major impact on the Celtics, but it might put a young team that tends to be healthy over the course of the season in a better position to win such hardware.

We say “tends to” given there are players like Robert Williams III and to a lesser extent Malcolm Brogdon who often miss time due to injury. Those players may see a tougher road to accolades than they did previously.

In theory, it could also reduce load management across the league, but Boston doesn’t tend to use this much for players who aren’t injury prone besides Al Horford, and even then, the 65-game threshold ought to be enough for Al, who has played more than that in nearly every season of his career.



My comments: There are some links, etc. in the original article that didn't carry over. Please use the link (above) to access that content.

I'll continue to post updates and clarifications as details arise.

dboss,

It says that teams that spend more than $17.5 million above the tax line will lose their taxpayer midlevel exception, but neither article indicates it is a one-off.

Right now, there are two MLEs, Taxpayer and Non-taxpayer.  If you go over the tax line by a certain amount (called the apron, so let's use that term for the amount above the tax line because it is shorter), you get the little one.

The change is making the apron much higher above the tax line.  If a team goes above the new apron, the team totally loses the MLE.

No MLE for you!  

They may not be done yet with this part of the new CBA.  I can see them making multiple tiers of aprons and MLEs to go with them.  More or less continue with the big MLE and the little MLE set up as it is now, with the additional cutoff set at $17.5 million above the tax line.

Three tiers:

Below the tax line, Non-taxpayer MLE, aka the big MLE.
Above the tax line 6-8 million, aka the little MLE and the little apron.
Above the tax line 17.5 million, aka the big apron, with no MLE.

It also says this change reportedly will be phased in over several seasons.

In order to be eligible for the Super Max contract Jaylen needs to be named to an All-NBA team, which I think he deserves but it's not up to me.  Anything that helps him get signed/extended is a big plus for us.

While the play-in tournament is a weak soup what it does do is reduce the number of teams that see tanking as a goal.  If you can make the playoffs, and there's money in it for players as well as owners, you'll play harder.  I consider tanking to be the Fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse, so I'm happy about this.  It doesn't mean I'll watch the play-ins, weak soup is still weak soup, but it'll mean the regular season games will be more fun and competitive.

Yeah, if you're going to mollycoddle the better players with load management (aka PTO) then you should move one of their carrots, like awards, further away from them.


Bob


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There is also the room exception for teams under the CAP but not sure if that will still be available under the new agreement.

So, it sounds like the apron will increase and the only penalty is no MLE.  I think teams that are deep in the luxury tax probably will not be too impacted.  If GSW is willing to spend on their core guys they will be looking to round out the roster with vet minimum guys perhaps.  

The thing I noticed is that teams can still avoid being hard capped.

Setting a spending line and cutting of the MLE if over it seems like a weak compromise, but we'll see. There should be a true hard cap but that isn't in the cards now.

Keeping the one-and-done, no eighteen year old rule is good, and I believe the age should be higher. There have been exceptions, but for the most part, no 18 or 19 year-old needs to be in the NBA. Maybe not even 20.

Brown will probably end up checking all the boxes to be in super max territory and if so the Celtics will pay him. They're going to have other tough roster decisions if so and maybe carrying an extra couple of 2-ways will be enough added flexibility to balance the roster.

db

Lebron signed a 2 year extension.  Next year he will make $50.6 million.   KI is probably gone after the season.  Cuban already screwed up his team by going after the shiny object.

NYCelt I respect your opinion although you did not give a reason.  You stated no 18 or 19 year-old needs to be in the NBA. Maybe not even 20.

I find it curious that MLB allows an 18 year old player to be drafted and international players from the DR  for example, can be drafted even at age 17 and can sign a major league contract.

The NBA is an elite and very restricted professional sports.  As such very few players can become NBA players.  It follows that the number of 18 year olds coming out of HS would be a small sample of an already small sample size.

Teenagers can play professional tennis at a very young age.  

The William sisters each turned pro at age 14.  Venus was only 17 when she won the US Open.

How about the NHL.  North American players are eligible to be drafted at age 18.  

It seems to me that the NBA is the exception that you agree with.  It would be of interest to me to find out why you think NBA players need to be older before they get drafted.

You have to be between the ages to 17-35 to join the US Army.  I have a  nephew that joined the army at 18 right out of HS.  He did a tour of duty in Afghanistan.  Throughout the history of the US there has been no limit on sending our boys off to war.

What makes it different for an 18 year old to be restricted form playing NBA basketball?

With regards to the no Hard CAP except for certain types of transactions, the only concern that I have is for teams to be able to retain the players that will keep them competitive in winning a title.

Some teams do not or cannot spend the money to compete.

That is American capitalism at its' finest. I do not like the rule that rewards team for not spending at the expense of those teams that are willing to spend. There needs to be incentives not disincentives.

dboss,

I don't think teenagers need to go pro in any sport, at least not at the major league level.

In baseball, for example, they can be drafted at 18 or younger, but usually play in the minors. More and more, MLB draftees are passing on the offer and heading to a college program.

In football, they have to stay in college 2 years and can't be drafted after their freshman season.

It's a combination of maturity and physicality in my opinion. 18 and 19 in the NBA, that's too young. The washout rate will remain high unless they all suddenly have the body of LeBron James at 18. Even if so, few have the maturity needed.

18 or 19 playing 82 games before they're fully physically and mentally developed? 18 or 19 and having a 7-figure contract thrown at them, hoping that mom or dad has the business acumen to help guide them or pick out an agent who has to be part business leader, part de facto parent?

No way any of that that makes sense to me.

And no, I don't believe they belong in a war zone either.

Regards

I agree with NY Celt

Besides the kid, it also saves the franchise from making a mistake on the kid. For every Lebron or KG there were so many more misses, those misses ruin a franchise. Even the one year can be hard to evaluate. Evaluating a kid after that one year in college, only helps both party’s.

There are some downsides when we talk about Players in their late teens going into sports to earn a living. They’re downsides to teens going to work in any industry. Haven’t seen a study but I know quite a few where a few years of post-HS education would have been the best for them. In my opinion.
As Far as the NBA goes. Too many people like to talk about whats best for the college, Universities and the NBA if the Kids stay longer.

What’s best for that student athlete? That should be up to him/her to decide.

So, yes, they should be allowed in after they finish HS if they're good enough to play.
Many of these kids have good parents that can help guild them through their early years and have sense enough to know that they may need to hire a person to help with the transition if need be.
Let em play…

One other note: It may turn out that I’m proven wrong on this one but screw that tournament BS too.

Bob


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