The latest CBA offer from NBA owners "includes some
movement on their proposals for maximum and minimum
salaries," according to Chris Sheridan of the AP. The union
is expected to respond to the offer later this week.
Sources said the league's latest offer included two
"different fiscal operating systems, designed to slow the
growth of player salaries." One system would keep the Larry
Bird exception, but "would mandate a scaling back of the
percentage" of basketball-related income (BRI) devoted to
players salaries from 57% last year to 54% in '98-99, 52% in
'99-2000 and down to 48% in '01-02. If those thresholds
were exceeded, "money would be returned to the owners."
But the union claims such a limit constitutes a hard cap.
Another system would eliminate the Bird rule after a three-
year exception, eliminate the $1M salary cap exception and
reduce the "maximum raise" from 20% to 5% "for all but a
handful of players." Both systems would include a maximum
salary rule, a "lengthened rookie salary scale and small
increases in the minimum salary for veterans" (AP, 9/29).
EWING LOOKS TO STOP LEAGUE'S SPIN-MOVE: NBPA President
Patrick Ewing "blasted" the owners' latest proposal. Ewing:
"The new owners' proposal is the same crap. (The fans) are
going to blame us (for games lost) because the owners have
the money to put their spin on things. That's the way it's
always been" (Frank Isola, N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 9/29). An NBPA
official, on the latest proposal: "They haven't tweaked
anything. They have now introduced new issues about a host
of other subjects, which does not appear to be something
calculated to lead to a quick resolution" (BLOOMBERG, 9/29).
NO SHORTENED SEASON? On CBS SportsLine, Mike Kahn
writes, "Lost amid all the posturing, is a compromise.
There just seems to be no grounds for agreement between the
existing soft cap ... and the proposed hard cap." Kahn adds
that the two sides are "stymied," and that this is "a bad
scenario that has yet to break in the right direction. ...
But with the fundamental difference of opinion, there seems
to be no hope in the near future." NBA Commissioner David
Stern has said that he will not start the season in mid-
January like the NHL did in '95. Stern: "It's not worth it.
We're not going to ruin the integrity of the game like that.
We'll cancel the season first" (CBS SportsLine, 9/29). One
NBA exec told Eddie Sefko of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE, "There
is a point beyond which the season loses credibility.
There wouldn't be a 50-game season, for instance." Stern
told Sefko, "Such hope as there is (to start the season on
time) seems to be dwindling" (HOUSTON CHRONICLE, 9/29).
