Changes to the NBA's free-agent moratorium "do not appear imminent," but the period in '16 will be 10 days, "two days longer than the one this year," according to Ben Bolch of the L.A. TIMES. Clippers C DeAndre Jordan's "rare but not unprecedented decision to renege on a commitment sparked widespread discussion about potential changes" (L.A. TIMES, 7/10). Former NBA Exec VP/Basketball Operations Stu Jackson said he believes NBA team owners during a meeting next week in Las Vegas "will at least discuss and take a look at the issue." Jackson, referring to the Jordan situation, said, "At the very least, I would think they would want to explore some options how you minimize the chances of something like this happening" ("NBA Gametime," NBA TV, 7/9). ESPN's Brian Windhorst said the owners will "talk about it, and they may promise to look at it." Windhorst: "But they’re not going to be able to do anything that changes anything. If they shorten the moratorium down to one hour, there would still be teams violating the rules right now." He added some people in the NBA office likely think all the talk about Jordan "is fantastic," as they "love the drama.” ESPN's John Buccigross: "This is great PR. It's fun, pretty harmless when it's all said and done" (“SportsCenter,” ESPN, 7/9). ESPN's Marc Stein said that completely eliminating the waiting period is not realistic because the league "thinks that some elements of the moratorium are very effective.” ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne: “We may see the moratorium period contracted. I think it may go from eight days now maybe to three or four" ("OTL," ESPN, 7/9).
WELCOME TO THE WILD, WILD WEST: GRANTLAND's Zach Lowe wrote the NBA "loves how frenetic player movement dominates the news cycle, but does it really want billion-dollar franchises rising and falling on broken promises?" The league "enables this chaos by rushing into a half-formed free-agency netherworld in which deals mean everything and nothing." This system has "always teetered on the edge, and Jordan’s unprecedented five-day backtrack has exposed the uncertainty baked into it." The next logical step is for every team to "ignore publicized verbal agreements and work to poach free agents who have already entered into them" (GRANTLAND.com, 7/9). ESPN's Windhorst said enforcement of the tampering rule over the last couple of years has "gone out the window." Windhorst: "It's pretty much the Wild West out there. ... Right now, what we have is a situation in the league where anything goes and all is fair in love and free agency" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/9). SPORTSNET.ca's Michael Grange wrote no sport "has anything remotely like the 10-day long soap opera -- no, more like a lavish summer blockbuster -- that the NBA does." Grange: "It's a party that stretches on for nine days. ... In the in-between period, anything goes and the hangovers for those who overindulge are of the brain-turning-to-molten-lava variety" (SPORTSNET.ca, 7/9).
WE CREATED A MONSTER? In N.Y., Harvey Araton wonders why the moratorium period was "even implemented." Former NBA Commissioner David Stern in an e-mail wrote, "To await the closing of the book and precise determination of the salary cap and tax levels." But a league exec said that it was "commonly known that teams were cheating, contacting free agents before the negotiating period began July 1." The moratorium was conceived to "protect teams from predatory league partners" (N.Y. TIMES, 7/10). ESPN.com's J.A. Adande wrote the moratorium period is a "logistical nightmare the NBA brought on itself." It was supposed to "negate any early tampering before the marketplace opens." Adande: "Did you ever marvel at teams reaching agreement on nine-figure contracts with players a half hour into free agency? Did you actually believe they just started talking that night and hashed out the details of a major deal in a matter of minutes? ... As long as there are secret conversations going on, they might as well push the start of free agency back to July 9 so the numbers can be in place and the signing can commence right away" (ESPN.com, 7/9).
