The NBA board of governors and the National Basketball Players Association ratified the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, the NBA and NBPA announced Wednesday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The sides announced on April 1 that they had reached a tentative deal, but it still had to be ratified.
- Among the biggest changes under the new CBA, The Athletic previously reported, are that players will be allowed to invest in NBA and WNBA teams, players will no longer be penalized for using marijuana (it has been removed from the drug testing program) and players must play at least 65 games to be eligible for major individual league awards.
- Other stipulations include allowing teams to begin negotiating with their free agents one day after the NBA Finals conclude, increasing veteran extension limits from 120 percent to 140 percent and setting the prize money for the new in-season tournament at $500,000 per player.
The following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/cJ4otgDGv2
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 26, 2023
Backstory
The sides had twice pushed back the deadline for a mutual opt-out date to March 31 and had hoped to get a new CBA in place before the start of the playoffs, which began two weeks ago.
NBPA executive director Tamika Tremaglio told The Athletic in February that the new CBA was a top priority, though also made it clear that the players union would be fine continuing with the status quo for another season if need be as it considered whether to opt out.
The two sides had exchanged hundreds of proposals during the process, Tremaglio said at the time.
Required reading
- NBA CBA questions: Will games played requirement work? How will free agency change?
- Hollinger: Examining CBA’s silly NBA awards provision
(Photo: Kirby Lee / USA Today)