NBA Commissioner Adam Silver addressed a wide array of topics during a news conference before Game 1 of the Finals and said the league's concussion protocol is "best in class," according to Jeff Zillgitt of USA TODAY. He added that the Warriors "followed that protocol as mandated when addressing recent head injuries to guards" Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Silver said that the NBA "will continue to examine its protocol." He also "addressed the issues" with the NBPA (USA TODAY, 6/5). Silver also said that he has spoken with NBPA reps "to discuss 'how both sides feel the collective bargaining agreement is working' and to generate a list of possible changes." Silver "sounded open to the idea of further talks" with the NBPA and Exec Dir Michele Roberts. Meanwhile, Silver said that the league "will likely change its playoff format by stripping the guaranteed top-four seed given to division winners." Silver: "We are going to take a very close look at whether we should seed at least 1 through 8 by conference as opposed to giving the division winner that higher seed. We may change that fairly quickly. ... That is a vestige of a division system that may not make sense anymore" (Ben Golliver, SI.com, 6/4).
DRAFTING A NEW PLAN: Silver said that the salary cap "will take an enormous leap" to about $90M in '16-17, a move from approximately $67M next season. In L.A., Mike Bresnahan notes league projections for '16-17 "had been released to teams privately, but Silver’s on-the-record reiteration seemed to add weight to them." The salary-cap increase "is directly tied to the start" of the nine-year, $24B TV deal the NBA signed with Turner Sports and ESPN/ABC. Silver: "It’s a massive amount of capital that’s going to come in from one year to the next, something that’s never happened before in the history of this league" (L.A. TIMES, 6/5). Meanwhile, Silver said that he "wishes to hold off on draft lottery reform for at least one more season." YAHOO SPORTS' Eric Freeman noted Silver "previously supported a proposal to reform the draft lottery, but that plan was voted down by 13 teams" in late October at the league's BOG meeting. While Silver "still supports reform, he does not see it as a prudent step at this time." The idea is that the sizable cap increase "will change not just the amount that teams can offer their players in salary, but also the ways in which franchises go about adding players" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/4).
WE ARE NOT THEM: Silver said that there "has been 'absolutely no suggestion' of any wrongdoing with basketball's international governing body like the scandal that has rocked soccer." He said of FIBA, "Their financials are audited. They have open board meetings. And, again, there's never been a discussion in our sport of any of the sort of taint that we're seeing right now in FIFA" (AP, 6/4).
