NBA and NBPA Working Through Key Issues, Hoping to Complete New CBA Deal in March

According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, a new CBA deal could be right around the corner for the NBA.

Negotiations have been had in earnest thus far, as each side has chosen to extend multiple opt-deadlines in the past to continue conversations. Now, with the next deadline looming on March 31st, the NBPA has reportedly told the NBA that their full intentions are to get a deal done next month.

The two sides have made progress on critical issues in recent weeks, per Charania. Some of the most interesting discussions have revolved around new luxury tax tiers. They would establish updated penalties for the amount in which a team has gone over the tax, which would include a far more manageable initial tier that might make entering the tax far more comfortable for certain teams.

Additionally, it looks like shrinking the draft eligibility age remains a priority for the NBA. This would allow players to enter the league straight out of high school and take away the need for one-and-done play in college.

All things considered, it’s remarkably encouraging that talks have seemed to progress in this fashion, especially when we consider the several big changes that are coming in the deal. We’ve seen these things get very messy in the past, but I got to give my props to Adam Silver and the NBPA leaders for keeping things moving in the right direction. Anyway, Charania touched on a lot more of what the new CBA could include in his report, which you can check out here: