Report: NBA, NBPA close to new collective bargaining agreement

The NBA and and the Players Association are progressing in theirtalks for a new collective bargaining agreement with Shams Charania of The Athleticreporting that "there’s been significant progress made inrecent weeks on key issues and it’s given the hope that a deal iswithin grasp in the coming weeks".

Both sides are hoping to get a new CBA in place before the March31 deadline and the NBPA has notified the league office that ithopes to finalize a new deal sometime in March.

One high-ranking source involved in negoations said,“Wewant to finish this deal soon and certainly want this wrapped upbefore the (March 31) deadline. It’s close — we need to dot the I’sand cross the T’s.”

Charania reports that one of thebig points the league and the Players Association are negotiatingover is a new luxury tax system that would lower the penalties forteams barely above the threshold which would allow teams to keeppace with increasing salaries without incurring a heavy tax bill.However, the two sides would keep in place the punitive level ofthe upper tax levels.

Among the other main points still being negotiated is languageregarding load management and the resting of star players, loweringthe draft age to 18 but with conditions that would protect veteranplayers, increasing contract extension raises from 120% to 140% or150%, and smoothing out upcoming increases to the salary cap.