NEW YORK -- Always be closing. Always be closing.
And never, apparently, be smoothing.
In the National Basketball Players Association's annual All-Star meeting of player representatives Friday afternoon, the union sent the NBA and its fans a message that negotiations of the next collective bargaining agreement with the owners aren't neatly tucked away until 2017 (when the current deal can be re-opened) or even 2016 (formal talks might reasonably be expected to begin).
They're here now, with the union's rejection of two "smoothing" proposals from the NBA to manage the flood of new money from dramatically increased TV rights fees beginning with the 2016-17 season. Michele Roberts, the NBPA's new executive director, said the team reps voted unanimously to reject both proposals during a meeting that included about 50 players.
What that could mean, if left unaddressed, would be an abrupt hike in the league's salary cap from an estimated $68 million in 2015-16 to, say, $90 million for 2016-17. That's when the new nine-year, $24 billion TV deal kicks in at nearly triple the current broadcast fees. Boosting the cap number that suddenly could make virtually every team in the NBA a bidder for the lucky free agents of 2016. Rosters could be entirely rebuilt, or completely destroyed, all in a few weeks time.
