NBA and Players Reach New Agreement

I return from a lengthy absence with news that you have no doubt heard. The NBA and the Players Union have reached an agreement (in principle) for a new collective bargaining agreement. The new agreement, which is outlined on the NBA website, raises the salary cap, increases the percentage of basketball revenue guaranteed to the players and decreases the maximum contract length from seven years to six. It also increases the number of random drug tests, as well as the penalty, and gives teams the right to assign players with less than two years of experience to the NBA Development League. It will be interesting to see how much the teams take advantage of this new power, and more importantly, how the players respond.

One of the biggest items, of course, is that the league has also raised the age limit for draft eligibility from 18 to 19. I have been on record as being in favor of the age limit, while Mike has become famous (HBO anyone?) for extolling its downsides. But, I see this agreement as a potential loss for both sides. Yes, it will be beneficial to have (slightly) more older and (arguably) more mature players in the league, but how much difference will one year really make?

In my mind, the purpose of an age limit is to protect the league's product. The league needs to ensure that its players learn the fundamentals, but more importantly, how to be adults, while in college and before being handed millions of dollars. With this agreement, the NBA has ensured the players will be a little older, but will they be any wiser? Unlike an age limit of 20, or one similar to the NFL where the player must be three years removed from high school, most star basketball players will only have to wait out one year before they can enter the draft. As ESPN points out, players may try and go to Europe or just sit out a year rather than risk injury in college.

College basketball is also harmed by this deal. The number of "one and done" players will only increase, as 18 year-olds enter school only to prove their skills for the next year's draft. While it may be fun to see some of them in school, recruiting will become more difficult as coaches have to choose between a one-year superstar or a four-year solid player. Players certainly will not have the chance to mature, both on the court and off it, through several years in a college setting.

There is no question the NBA is suffering. When the ratings for your championship series are being subsumed by reality television featuring dancing B-level stars, something is amiss. (Forbes, 06/14/05). Robert Horry's (ahem, fundamentals) great 4th quarter may have rescued some audience, but it will be interesting to see if the new CBA can help steer the league back towards mass appeal.

Update: Reader Krikor correctly points out that the agreement not only has a 19 year-old age limit, but also a requirement that US players be one year removed from high school. Thus, players could not merely "repeat" a grade just to graduate at 19, as I had suggested before.

Posted in: