NBA Sets Fast-Approaching Deadline To Reach New CBA

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has set a deadline of this Friday at midnight for the league and the Players Association to reach a new collective bargaining agreement. If not, the league intends to exercise its opt-out of the current CBA. 

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, after the Board of Governors meeting, said if there is not agreement on a new CBA by Friday, league will opt out of the current CBA that ends at end of June. That would allow three months to negotiate the new agreement with the players association.

— Jonathan Feigen (@Jonathan_Feigen) March 29, 2023

The current agreement, if the NBA opts out, would expire at the end of June, which would give the two sides three months from now to hammer out a new agreement. After that, June 30, if there's no deal in place, July free agency signings and trades could not take place, nor could the Summer League, or any other league business until an agreement is reached. The next season would be set to begin less than four months from that date.  

Silver said he's hopeful that an agreement can be struck by this Friday, adding  "I think everyone understands what's at stake.

"I certainly can foresee one getting done and I hope we do get one done," Silver said at the conclusion of a two-day meeting of the league's board of governors. "It's just because, honestly, I'm only one side of the negotiation, it's difficult for me to place odds on whether or not that's going to happen."

The following is a statement from NBPA executive director @tamikaNBPA on the state of CBA negotiations, and in response to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver saying the league plans to opt out of the current deal if a new agreement isn’t reached: pic.twitter.com/AGOA42xmfr

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) March 29, 2023

The NBPA has released a statement saying "The March 31st deadline is an important benchmark, and we are doing everything in our power to reach an agreement with the league. If we don't have a deal and the league decides to opt out, it will be disappointing considering all the work both sides have put into the negotiations, and the fair nature of our requests... The NBPA does not intend to opt out."

The two sides have been talking for a year, with some of the key issues being an upper spending limit for teams, a return to allowing players to jump to the draft directly from high school, as well as instituting a minimum number of games played in order to be qualified for season-ending awards.

Photo: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports