THE National Basketball Association and National Basketball Players Association are drawing close to a new Collective Bargaining Agreement after a series of meetings in New York, averting a possible work stoppage in 2017.
Yahoo Sports’ The Vertical reported on Thursday (Friday, Manila time) that negotiations between NBA commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA executive director Michele Roberts are nearing a new multi-year CBA.
According to sources, the final version of the deal is expected within the next few weeks, with both owners and players agreeing to major issues before the NBPA ratifies it.
Among the changes is to the 36-and-over rule that prohibits players from signing a five-year maximum contract if their 36th birthday occurs within the span of the deal.
Sources said the NBA and union have tentatively agreed to change the rule to over 38 which would affect superstars such as NBPA president Chris Paul, vice president LeBron James and executive committee member Carmelo Anthony who are already in their 30s.
The NBA and its union have reportedly agreed in principle that the Basketball Related Income (BRI) split will remain unchanged. The players receive a share in the range of 49 to 51 percent of the current BRI.
The league will also raise rookie-scale, veteran minimum and free-agent exception deals in the new agreement, league sources said.
Sources said the NBA’s “one-and-done” rule with college basketball will remain in place, retreating on its original desire to make college players wait two years after high school graduation to become eligible for the NBA draft.
League sources also told ESPN's Marc Stein that the amnesty clause is on the chopping block in the new CBA deal, as team owners are hesitant of retaining the rule that's been allowed in the past two agreements, where teams can waive players and remove their salaries from the salary cap.
Retaining the amnesty clause could be the Miami Heat's solution to the Chris Bosh dilemma, as the team owes the two-time NBA champion $75 million for the next three years.
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