NBA, NBPA agree to again extend CBA opt-out deadline originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
The NBA and NBPA have agreed to delay the deadline for either side to terminate the current Collective Bargaining Agreement until Nov. 6, the league and union jointly announced Friday.
It's the fourth time said deadline has been pushed back since the NBA paused its 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The most recent previously agreed upon deadline had been today, Oct. 30.
What does that mean? The move essentially allows the two sides extra time to negotiate modifications to the CBA in the wake of a revenue shortfall last season and with little clarity as to when fans will be permitted back in arenas moving forward. If either side provides notice by Nov. 6, the CBA will terminate by Dec. 14 unless an agreement is reached prior, according to a release.
There's also the matter of settling a scheduling plan for the 2020-21 season. And there remains a "gulf" between the league and NBPA on that front, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
Per multiple reports, the league has proposed the 2020-21 season tip off Dec. 22 and endure 72 games. The majority of players are said to prefer a mid-January start.
“We’re either going to start MLK Day (Jan. 18), which I think a lot of the players are leaning towards, or we’re going to start [Dec.] 22nd, Christmas time,” NBPA vice president Malcolm Brogdon told Rachel Nichols on a Thursday edition of ESPN's The Jump. “But the huge difference is revenue. It’s revenue and trying to get each season back on track to start in that September/October range. So I think calculations are being done on both sides on how much revenue would be lost on each potential date and we’ll have to come to some kind of agreement and go from there.
“The way talks are going, this is a complicated issue, there’s a lot to balance. A lot of minds working on this collaboratively on both sides. So it’s gonna take some time. And you know, I don’t think a few weeks, but I think at least a few more days.”
The latest deadline delay indicates both sides are hoping for a resolution by the end of next week.
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The Bulls last played March 10, the night before the season was suspended, and were left uninvited to the league's restart. It was also reported Friday that the NBA is allowing teams to open their practice facilities for group workouts up to 10 players.
