What the new NBA will be like: a “cup” will be played and the players will be able to participate in the cannabis and betting business

A new era will begin in NBA starting next season. This Friday, the franchises finally represented by the commissioner Adam Silver and the players (the NBPA union) They have reached an agreement for the new collective labor agreement of the League, the regulatory framework that will protect competition for the next seven years.

The main points of the new agreement are the creation of a mid-season tournament –a kind of “cup” as in football tournaments in Spain or England, with the Copa del Rey or the FA Cup as an example, which will award a second champion each year (only one franchise has been consecrated so far); a minimum number of matches will be required for players to be eligible for individual prizes; a new limit for franchises that “spend” more; a new scope for contract expansion; Consumption of marijuana will be permitted for players, who will also be able to actively participate in the promotion of cannabis-related businesses and bookmakers.

But before reviewing each point, it is necessary to contextualize the moment of the most important basketball championship in the world. It’s a prosperous era for the NBA: the average value of franchises is close to 3,000 million dollars. The average salary of players is $8.3 millionthe highest number in all of world sport, of 5.3 million in Indian Premier League cricket, 4.03 in MLB, 3.97 in British Premier League, 3.2 in NFL, 2.6 in NHL and 2, 5 in the Spanish Soccer League.

These numbers are explained by the exponential growth of television rights, whose renewal is underway and which will come into force in 2025. The current agreement was negotiated in 2014, which began in 2016 with a massive increase in players’ salaries. on which they depend Basketball-Related Income (BIS)the entity that collects all the amounts invoiced by the League directly linked to the game, to the matches. The NBA continued to generate approximately 8,000 million annually. Disney (ESPN and ACB) and Turner (TNT) have agreed to pay $24 billion for nine seasons (2016-25).

Adam Silver, the commissioner of the NBA – that is to say the representative of the franchises – has a more flexible leadership than that of his predecessor, David Stern. Silver seeks to integrate all parties in the business and to make – as far as possible – players partners rather than employees, allies rather than rivals of the teams and the organization.

The union, for its part, now has another leadership: Tamika Tremagliothe new executive director (she took office in January 2022) who has been an absolutely appreciated, loved and respected leader by the players, but also by the rest of the parties that make up the league.

The new agreement will be valid for seven years, with a release clause for both parties after the sixth, and will enter into force from the next 2023-24 season.

The main points of the new agreement

1. NBA players will be able to use marijuana starting next season. The League will remove the checks. Until now, marijuana was a punishable substance that resulted in five-game no-play penalties if you tested positive at three checkups. It is worth mentioning that the production, sale, distribution and consumption of marijuana is legal in eight US states.

Many players have admitted to using marijuana during the NBA season. The most emblematic case is that of Kevin Durantfigure of the league and of the phoenix sunsone of the most committed to the cause: “It’s actually like drinking wine, nothing more. It clears my mind of distractions, helps me relax”he has declared.

The approval of the use of marijuana in the new agreement will generate a conflict with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which maintains its position to prohibit the use of cannabis. In the United States, however, activities such as baseball and mixed martial arts under MLB and the UFC already allow recreational use of marijuana among their athletes.

2. Players will be able to invest in both NBA and WNBA franchises. And they will also be able to invest and actively participate in the promotion of businesses related to cannabis and gambling.

Investments in the teams — something the NBA will pioneer when it comes to players — will be made through a private equity firm selected by the union. Advertising and promotional agreements with bookmakers must not be related to the betting business itself. But it still remains one of the most controversial points of the new agreement, to open the door to a closer and more official link between players and clubs.

3. Increased extension limits for veteran players who have already claimed rookie contract extensions. It will go from the current 120% to 140% of previous salary as the starting point of the extension. It’s a way of trying to get players to sign extensions with their franchises and have less temptation to go on the market.

4. Minimum number of games to qualify for prizes. Both sides agreed to settle 65 games the minimum to be able to win an individual distinction such as being MVP, Rookie of the Year or Defensive Player, among others. This seeks to lay the groundwork for potential applications. The last MVP to play 82 games in a season was Kobe Bryant, in 2008. But the only MVP with fewer than 65 games in 82 seasons is Bill Walton, who played 58 with the Blazers winning the award in 1978.

5. Limitations on teams that spend the most. Teams like the Clippers or Warriors with sky-high paychecks won’t be eligible for the mid-range exceptions for teams in the “luxury tax” (teams that exceed it will face a fine). The NBA is in the process of establishing a second cap line for teams exceeding the $17.5 million salary cap (salary cap set at $123.655 million).

6. Introduction of a tournament during the season. The idea of ​​a cup in the style of European football had been on the table for some time. This tournament will be implemented in the 2023-2024 season, which will consist of a series of matches during the month of November, of which the top 8 will progress to a single-match knockout draw. The semi-final and the final will be played on neutral venues. This will mean that the two teams that play in the final will play 83 matches of the Regular Phase, but will also receive an extra economic salary ($500,000).