Adam Silver hopes league will not have to return to bubble environment for any of next seasonNBAE/GETTY IMAGES
The "complete disruption" of this NBA season due to the pandemic has left the league to figure out various financial matters with the NBPA to "allow the offseason, and next season, to start on time," according to Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com. There are "lots of things that have to be sorted out, from setting the salary cap and luxury tax" to determining whether the escrow "needs to be increased because of the reduced money that will be available." Those negotiations are "expected to begin in earnest" between NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and NBPA Exec Dir Michele Roberts "after the season has concluded." Silver at his annual pre-NBA Finals press conference said that he "expects the two sides to be able to come to a resolution without the need for a work stoppage." He said, "There's no doubt there are issues on the table that need to be negotiated. I think it's -- we've managed to work through every other issue so far. I think we have a constructive relationship with them. We share all information. We look at our various business models together." Silver concluded, "While no doubt there will be issues and there will be some difficult negotiations ahead, I fully expect we'll work them out, as we always have" (ESPN.com, 9/30).
BARGAINING BREAKDOWN: THE ATHLETIC's Joe Vardon reported "one of the options the sides are considering is keeping next season’s salary cap artificially high and matching" this season’s $109M cap number. Then, to "balance the revenue split the owners and players have agreed to, every player would give up a portion of his salary." If the players agree to this, free agents "would be sheltered from carrying the burden of dramatically reduced revenues, spreading the losses across the players’ union." Without it, the NBA "could be looking at a nuclear winter where free agents go unsigned or sign for dramatically reduced salaries." Typically, 10% of players' salaries are held in escrow each season until an audit of revenues is conducted. But when the pandemic hit, players agreed to put 25% of their remaining salaries into escrow for this season. That agreement "could extend another season." Still, owners "hold the ultimate 'Force Majeure' hammer in their hands, where they could cancel the current collective bargaining agreement because no team played 82 games this season." If they were to do so, the NBA "could be looking at a work stoppage." The league "lost about $1 billion this season, due not only to the pandemic ... but also an October political controversy in China" (THEATHLETIC.com, 9/30).
GETTING FANS IN ARENAS: USA TODAY's Mark Medina notes Silver "affirmed his hope to host games with fans next season," and he considers it "feasible because of ongoing advancement with safety protocols." Silver "downplayed whether that scenario hinges on the availability of a safe and proven vaccine." He said, "There's almost no chance that there will be a vaccine at least that is widely distributed at least before we start the next season. I do not see the development of a vaccine as a prerequisite.” Silver conceded that of the "combined 6,500 people on campus that 'some of them tested positive' because Disney employees are not quarantined on site and are tested regularly." But he affirmed that there have been "zero positive cases among players, coaches and team and league members because of those aforementioned protocols." Silver said, "I hope we don’t have to return to a bubble environment, but it is something we’ll have to look at” (USA TODAY, 10/1).
UNCERTAINTIES AHEAD: If the NBA does start next season in January or perhaps later, Silver has said that he "wants to play a full 82-game season if possible." In California, Kyle Goon wonders when the NBA would "get back 'on schedule' with its typical October-to-June timeframe." Goon: "Yet another mystery. The NBA is motivated in part to get back in cycle by television -- competing for viewers with football isn’t ideal." Silver also said that "most in the NBA look forward to their usual summer break" (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 10/1). Meanwhile, SPORTSNET.ca's Michael Grange wrote about "more uncertainty" for the future of the Raptors and what challenges the U.S.-Canada border "could provide if it remains largely closed." Silver said it is "one of those things that’s going to be outside of our control." Silver indicated MLSE Chair Larry Tanenbaum and Raptors President Masai Ujiri both have had "ongoing conversations" with government officials in Canada to "but it’s just too early to know" (SPORTSNET.ca, 9/30).
DOING BETTER BY COACHES: Silver acknowledged that the league "'can do better' when it comes to the hiring of Black head coaches." Still, Silver in response to an inquiry about the NFL's Rooney rule said, "I don’t see a way to operate a league where the league office, the commissioner, is dictating to a team who they should or shouldn’t hire. Or who they should and shouldn’t fire, frankly." At the same time, Silver said of the NBA's six head coaching vacancies at present, "We’re in discussions with all of those teams about making sure there’s a diverse slate of candidates." He added, "Let’s talk again after we fill these six positions and see where we are because I know we can do better" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/1).
JOB WELL DONE: ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski said of the success of the NBA bubble, “For the entire NBA it was a remarkable job of trusting science, of respecting the virus and then for the teams -- the Lakers, the Heat who are in the Finals -- tremendous mental toughness for those teams to go through this.” ESPN’s Jalen Rose: "I’m proud to be part of the NBA family. The way the players sacrificed to go in the bubble, the way the league has put on an event for us to enjoy. We’re going to get a legitimate champion" (“NBA Countdown,” ABC, 9/30).
