Woj: NBA Pursuing 'Upper Salary Limit' in CBA Negotiations with Players Union

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA wants to add an "upper salary limit" in its negotiations with the players.

According to sources, the proposal has been met with firm resistance of the NBPA, to the point of the union considering it a non-starter in discussions.

The league is trying to keep payrolls from ballooning as teams re-sign their veterans to lucrative deals and exceed the soft cap. The Golden State Warriors have a $214 million active roster cap for next season with the salaries they have on the books.

The current luxury tax system allows teams to exceed the soft cap but charges them increasing financial penalties as they get closer to the cap.

The NBA has a hard cap but only after a specific set of events.

Bobby Marks @BobbyMarks42

The league currently has a hard cap but that is triggered only when a player is acquired via a sign-and-trade or a certain exception is used. https://t.co/XBN1h8ipUu

In the player's perspective, a hard cap would decrease their earning potential, disincentivizing or even preventing teams from signing veterans to lucrative deals. They won't be interested in pursuing it.

A source from the player's side of the situation told Stein that there will be a hard cap before there's a labor deal.

The players might draw a hard line because the league is going to be even richer.

A lucrative new television deal, expected to be worth at least double the NBA's current nine-year, $24 billion (with a B) TV pact, should be in place starting with the 25th season. After a new television contract is secured, billions more will be pumped into ownership.

The owners of the league don't want to keep a bigger piece of the revenue pie for themselves, but they do want smaller-market teams to be able to compete with the Warriors.

Dan Devine @YourManDevine

Forbes, yesterday: "The average NBA team is now worth $2.86 billion, 15% more than a year ago, an impressive feat considering the stock market is down more than 15% over the same span."

Today: Owners need a hard cap to save them from themselves. https://t.co/A2vS25Dmg1

Howard Beck @HowardBeck

Just want to note, before everyone gets into a froth over "hard cap" proposals: NBA has asked/proposed/floated a hard cap, or something like it, in nearly every CBA discussion since the Paleozoic Era (give or take an era). Then they table it for the next one. wash/rinse/repeat

Hardwood Paroxysm @HPbasketball

Good luck with the hard cap against the 2nd strongest union in sports.

Sam Quinn @SamQuinnCBS

I don't think NBA players will ever agree to a true hard cap, under any circumstances.

More money in the marketplace. Owners like Ballmer/Lacob put pressure on other owners to spend while also limiting the supply of available players, which increases demand for everyone else.

The players aren't going to feel bad for billionaires who are going to benefit from the new television deal. There is a chance of a lockout if the owners persist.