Silver: No 'high level of concern' for lockout in '17
OAKLAND, Calif. — NBA commissioner Adam Silver said he doesn’t have a “high level of concern” about a lockout in 2017 when the league and the players’ union can opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement.
A lockout is a possibility as players look to negotiate more lucrative contracts once the league’s new $24 billion TV deal with ESPN and Turner Broadcasting kicks in during the 2016-17 season.
The players’ union has also rejected the NBA’s “cap smoothing” proposal that would pay players the same 51 percent of basketball-related income that they receive under the current CBA, which would have artificially lowered the salary cap to prevent the big spike and phase in the increase over several years.
“I think we have a very fair deal right now,” Silver said Sunday during halftime of Game 5 of the Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers at Oracle Arena.
“I think the deal is designed to pay players a percentage of revenue so it self-adjusts as revenue goes up. And when the new television deal kicks in in 2016-17, the players are going to be averaging over $8 million a year.
“I think, again, it’s a fair deal. If there’s things they want to talk about, of course we’ll talk about them. But I’m not overly concerned. I think we’ve got a great thing going right now. I think both sides recognize that.”
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
