Roberts' second term will end in '22, when both the players and the league can opt out of the current CBAGETTY IMAGES
NBPA Exec Dir MICHELE ROBERTS has been "unanimously re-elected ... to another four-year term," according to Tim Reynolds of the AP. Roberts "first moved into the role" in '14, and the extension "means that Roberts will almost certainly be deeply involved in negotiating whatever the next CBA will look like." Her second term will end in '22, when both the players and the league "can decide to opt out of the current CBA." Roberts said that the NBPA is "already preparing for what the next CBA will look like." Roberts: "Even as you sign the last CBA, you're preparing for the next one" (AP, 7/10). NBPA President CHRIS PAUL said that Roberts has "helped the players 'take back their union' and has helped develop it into one of the strongest in all of professional sports." SB NATION's Kristian Winfield noted Roberts' re-election "comes on the heels of controversy over her decision to not accept the NBA's proposal to smooth the cap" before the '16 free agency period that "saw the NBA salary cap balloon" to over $90M after newly negotiated TV deals (SBNATION.com, 7/10). Paul said of Roberts, "We just wanted to show her how much we appreciate her." He added of the NBPA's standing, "We've done very well. It did not happen overnight. The players did not necessarily believe they could trust me or our team until we demonstrated that we were worthy. ... I do think that we've turned a corner. We're not done, but we are at a place that I'm proud of the work that we do for the players" (ESPN.com, 7/10).
