Due in part to the coronavirus pandemic, the National Basketball Players Association has told agents to anticipate a large reduction in BRI (Basketball Related Income) for 2021, SNY's Ian Begley reports.
However, the salary cap for the subsequent season is expected to be calculated "fairly" and it should not be triggered based off a 2020 springboard number.
According to Begley, that means that the salary cap this summer and next summer is unlikely to drop significantly from current projections. The 2020 cap is currently projected at $115 million, per ESPN. The messaging from the union suggests that the NBPA and the NBA will work together to avoid a significant drop in the cap in the wake of a BRI reduction. Cap expert Albert Nahmad explores the different options to come to such an agreement here.
Presumably, the NBPA believes the BRI will decrease due in part to the coronavirus pandemic. The NBA has temporarily suspended its season amid the coronavirus crisis and is exploring different options to resume play.
If the NBA doesn't resume the season and cancels all games, players could be forced to forgo salary if the NBA cancels games under the Force Majeure clause. Roughly 25 percent of player salaries would be reduced if the rest of the 2019-20 season is canceled, the union said.
The union said it is considering several options in a potential approach to withholding salary if the Force Majeure clause is invoked. Among those options is graduating the reductions over time.
Additionally, the union pointed out that draft-eligible players and agents are prohibited from making at-home workout videos and sending them to teams, and in-person pre-draft workouts will likely be prohibited. The Athletic earlier reported those draft developments.
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