(New York) NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Wednesday he was hopeful the league and its players would find common ground on a new collective bargaining agreement by the end of the week. .
He still did not want to predict that a new employment contract would be signed.
“I think everyone is aware of what’s at stake,” Silver added.
The league and the NBA Players Association have until midnight Friday night to decide whether to terminate the current contract on June 30. That deadline has already been pushed back twice, and Silver said the league intends to use the escape clause if there’s no new deal by Friday night.
“Honestly, I’m only on one side of the negotiations and it’s hard for me to predict what will happen,” Silver insisted.
NBA Players Association Director Tamika Tremaglio said players have no intention of availing themselves of the escape clause if the deadline passes.
“The March 31 deadline is important and we are doing everything possible to reach an agreement with the league,” said Tremaglio. If we cannot find common ground and the league decides to use the clause, it will be a disappointing decision considering all the work done by both parties and the fair nature of our demands. As far as our supporters are concerned, nothing will change. Matches will continue uninterrupted. »
The two parties have been negotiating over a new collective agreement for over a year. Silver said negotiations were due to resume Wednesday evening. And if there is no agreement by Friday evening, the two parties will have another three months to reach an agreement before the current one expires.
The league has made clear its desire to change certain aspects of the current collective bargaining agreement, including imposing a spending limit, returning to eligibility to play in the NBA immediately after high school, and adding minimum number of games played for a player to be eligible for end-of-season honours.
“Each issue seems connected to the other issues,” Silver said. There are always trade-offs to be made. »
The current collective agreement came into effect on July 1, 2017.
A labor dispute would have major repercussions across the board, far beyond just record revenues of over US$10 billion last season. It could also affect player availability at the World Cup this summer in the Philippines, as well as the Summer League in Las Vegas.
“I think both parties have acknowledged that they’re close to agreement on a number of issues,” Silver said. There are still gaps at other levels to close before an agreement can be ratified. But I think the speech is positive and there is a real feeling of partnership with the players and their union. »
