NBA Rumors: Owners are going to mess around and force a lockout in 2024

NBA Rumors: Owners are planning to push a “hard cap” for the NBA in the next CBA agreement. That could force a new lockout in 2024.

In recent years, the NBA brand has grown in a way that we probably haven’t seen since the days Michael Jordan and Larry Bird was in the league. However, there’s one potential hurdle that the league will have to clear soon if they want to keep that growth going.

And that’s the Collective Bargaining Agreement deadline that is quickly approaching. The hope is that both the players and owners can reach an agreement on a new deal before the December 15 deadline. Officially, the CBA expires after the 2023-24 season.

The owners are pushing their luck for the next CBA

Though, as is almost always the case, there is one side that is pushing its boundaries.

According to a recent report, the owners are expected to want to introduce a “hard cap” for teams. Essentially, they want to limit what owners with unlimited money can do above the salary cap – current examples of that are the Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and LA Clippers.

"[via ESPN]The NBA is pursuing the implementation of an upper spending limit in its negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement with the National Basketball Players Association, a systemic change that has been met with significant union resistance, sources told ESPN."

This is something that is expected to receive a ton of pushback from the Players Association. Essentially, it could limit how and when they get paid or their extensions. It could also limit the number of players that receive max contracts on the same teams.

And I would imagine that there are many other layers to it as well that probably go well above my head.

All in all, this is something that needs to be carefully navigated by both sides. The players, understandably, don’t want a “hard cap.” And the owners, in an attempt to maintain parity, believe this is a move that needs to be made with the TV money expected to be injected into the sport in the next few years.

The lockout is the last thing that the NBA needs, on multiple levels. The sport has grown dramatically over the last decade. A lockout is something that would effectively slow down that growth.

The good news is that both sides have time. Time to negotiate. Time to figure things out. But one thing is for sure; if the owners are adamant about this one addition to the next CBA, it will only increase the chances of a lockout in 2024.