Today, reports surfaced saying that the NBA would soon be announcing a cushy new TV deal with TNT and ESPN. The biggest number to pay attention in the entire contract will be the $24B the NBA will be receiving over the course of their 9-year deal with these stations. The contract is three times larger than the NBA's previous deal, which will likely trigger a significant jump for both team salary caps and player salaries. Following the 2015-16 season, we're likely to see some of the biggest contracts in NBA history.
According to a report from ESPN's Brian Windhorst, these record-breaking figures could come as a result of the removal of max contracts from the NBA. The charge to get rid of this salary-constraining measure would likely be led by LeBron James and Chris Paul, two players who could benefit the most from such a shift.
With LeBron pushing for it & Chris Paul as head of union, players could also move for increase or even removal of max contract in 2017 CBA.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) October 6, 2014
And that possibility could affect how LeBron & Durant view their joint free agencies that come at same time in 2016.
— Brian Windhorst (@WindhorstESPN) October 6, 2014LeBron's current contract expires following the end of the 2015-16 season. The league's current collective bargaining agreement is up at the end of the 2016-17 season. Sometime around then, it's reasonable to expect that LBJ will be taking his talents straight to the bank.
However, as both CBS Sports and Grantland's Zach Lowe have pointed out, the removal of a max contract would only be distinctly beneficial for players like LeBron, Durant, Anthony Davis, and other sure-fire superstars in the league. It would also play a dramatic role in shifting how teams around the league are built. So, by no means is this move set in stone. However, it is certainly something every fan should keep their eye on as the 2016-17 draws near.
