NBA Commissioner Adam Silver yesterday "expressed concern about the impact" of Kevin Durant joining the Warriors and indicated that changes are needed in the CBA "to maintain the league's competitive balance," according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN.com. Silver addressed the media after the league's BOG meeting in Las Vegas and said, "Just to be absolutely clear, I do not think that's ideal from the league standpoint. ... On the other hand, I absolutely respect a player's right to become a free agent and in this case for Kevin Durant to make a decision that he feels is best for him." He added, "The good news is that we are in a collective bargaining cycle, so it gives everybody an opportunity -- owners and the union -- to sit down behind closed doors and take a fresh look at the system and see if there is a better way that we can do it. My belief is we can make it better." MacMahon noted Silver "clearly stated that he believes it's in the league's best interests to make changes to the CBA regarding free agency" (ESPN.com, 7/12). Silver said, "We can make the system even better. And I think it's critically important that fans in every market have that belief that if their team is well-managed, they can compete" (OKLAHOMAN, 7/13).
CRAZY TIMES: In Boston, Gary Washburn notes Silver realizes "there are major issues ahead" for the NBA, and he "admitted the owners did not prepare" for the $20M spike in the salary cap because of a nine-year, $24B TV deal. Although Silver continues to reiterate the "healthy state of the game, the lucrative television contract and ratings, there appears to be acrimony looming." Silver and the owners suggested to the NBPA nearly two years ago that the salary cap "be smoothed to provide gradual increases" instead of the $20M jump this year. That was "rejected by the players’ association, which said it wasn’t financially profitable for the union." Now that this spike has turned into "dizzying contracts for the league’s middle class, the owners are expected to try to reduce salaries or prevent such a repeated salary cap increase" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/13). SI.com's Ben Golliver notes there is little doubt the competitive balance issue will again be "at the heart of the next round of labor discussions." The NBA during the '11 lockout "made noise about instituting a hard salary cap that would, in theory, force superstars to take serious pay cuts if they wanted to team up together and force teams to break up developing star cores if they became too expensive." Silver yesterday chose not to discuss specific proposals at his press conference, but acknowledged that the NBA "plans to address the subject in upcoming negotiations" with the NBPA (SI.com, 7/13).
HOLD YOUR HORSES: Silver said that the NBA "is not ready to expand and is content having the city serve as the home to the NBA Summer League and USA Basketball." Silver: "We have a great relationship with Las Vegas. The summer league gets bigger every year. We’re expecting record attendance again. But the reality is we’re not looking to expand at the present time" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 7/13).
