The CBA Glossary

An explainer thing for the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement


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Extremely unlikely/rare situations
Death Free agents Draft picks Exceptions Renouncing

 

Death of a player

The player (well, their family) is still paid the remainder of the players salary. However, one year to the day after the death, the team can apply for salary relief, meaning that whilst the player continues to receive their salary, it is not charged to the team's salary cap. If the players contract was insured, as they almost all are, insurance will pay the salary.

 

th respect to Player Contracts entered into or extended on or after
the effective date of this Agreement:
(i) The maximum amount of aggregate Base Compensation
that can be protected for death is thirty million dollars
($30,000,000); and
(ii) If a player (other than a player signed to a Contract that
provides in any Season for the player to earn Compensation
equal to his applicable Minimum Player Salary that (x) is
signed after the first day of the Regular Season, or (y) does
not provide for full Base Compensation protection for lack
of skill and injury or illness for the first Season of such
Contract) elects to purchase term life insurance for his
benefit, his Team shall be permitted to reimburse him each
Season for the premiums paid for such insurance with
respect to such Season and any other future Season(s);
provided, however, that:
(A) The amount of coverage for which premiums are
reimbursed by the Team in any Season shall not
exceed the lesser of (x) the aggregate amount of the
player’s unearned Base Compensation for such
Season and each remaining Season (excluding an
Option Year if not yet exercised) that is not
protected for death, and (y) the difference between
(i) eighty-five million dollars ($85,000,000) and
(ii) the aggregate amount of the player’s unearned
Base Compensation for such Season and each
remaining Season (excluding an Option Year if not
yet exercised) that is protected for death.
30 Article II
(B) Any such premium reimbursement shall not exceed
the cost for ten-year guaranteed term coverage at
preferred rates.
(iii) If a Contract contains death protection covering ten million
dollars ($10,000,000) or more of Base Compensation, the
player shall be precluded from purchasing life insurance for
a period of ninety (90) days following the execution or
extension (as applicable) of the Contract or until such earlier
time as the Team notifies the player in writing that it is no
longer attempting to purchase life insurance coverage on the
player (up to the amount of the player’s Base Compensation
protection for death) for the Team’s benefit. During such
ninety (90) day period or until such time as the Team issues
the foregoing written notification to the player, the Team’s
efforts to purchase life insurance on the player for the
Team’s benefit shall be conducted diligently and in good
faith.

No-trade clauses

ecause of the circumstances required to qualify for one, how much power they give a player, and how much power they take away from his team, these vehicles are very rare

no-trade clauses are not like trade bonuses (also known as trade kickers). They are inexhaustible over the life of the contract, and unlike a bonus, can be applied multiple tames. That is to say, waiving the right to veto the trade once does not mean it is waived thereafter.

Force majeure

Termination by NBA/Force Majeure.

(a) “Force Majeure Event” shall mean the occurrence of any of the
following events or conditions, provided that such event or condition either
(i) makes it impossible for the NBA to perform its obligations under this
Agreement, or (ii) frustrates the underlying purpose of this Agreement, or
(iii) makes it economically impracticable for the NBA to perform its

544

Article XXXIX

obligations under this Agreement: wars or war-like action (whether actual
or threatened and whether conventional or other, including, but not limited
to, chemical or biological wars or war-like action); sabotage, terrorism, or
threats of sabotage or terrorism; explosions; epidemics; weather or natural
disasters, including, but not limited to, fires, floods, droughts, hurricanes,
tornados, storms, or earthquakes; and any governmental order or action
(civil or military); provided, however, that none of the foregoing enumerated
events or conditions is within the reasonable control of the NBA or an NBA
Team.
(b) In addition to any other rights a Team or the NBA may have by
contract or by law, if a Force Majeure Event occurs and, as a result, one or
more Teams are unable to play one or more games (whether Exhibition,
Regular Season, Play-In, or playoff games), then, for each missed game
during such period (the “Force Majeure Period”) that was not rescheduled
and replayed, the Compensation payable to each player who was on the
roster of a Team that was unable to play one or more games during the
Force Majeure Period shall be reduced by 1/92.6th of the player’s
Compensation for the Season(s) covering the Force Majeure Period. For
purposes of the foregoing calculation, and notwithstanding the actual
number of games that any Team played, was scheduled to play, or could
have played during the Seasons(s) affected by the Force Majeure Event, each
Team shall be deemed to play five (5) Exhibition games, eighty-two (82)
Regular Season games, and 5.6 playoff games during each such Season.
(c) In the event that Section 5(b) above applies, the applicable
Compensation reduction from each player shall be withheld by the player’s
Team from the first Compensation payment (or payments, if the first such
payment is insufficient to satisfy the reduction) that is (or are) due or to
become due to such player following the commencement of the Force
Majeure Period (whether under the Player Contract that was in existence at
the commencement of the Force Majeure Period or any subsequent Player
Contract between the player and the Team). If such Compensation payment
(or payments) is (or are) insufficient to cover the Compensation reduction
required by Section 5(b) above, then either (i) the player shall promptly pay
the difference directly to the Team (“old Team”), or (ii) if he subsequently
enters into a Player Contract with, or is traded to, another NBA Team (“new
Team”), such difference shall be withheld from the first available
Compensation payment (or payments, if the first such payment is
insufficient to satisfy the remaining reduction) that is (or are) due to the

Article XXXIX

545

player from the new Team and shall be remitted by the new Team to the old
Team.
(d) Upon the occurrence of a Force Majeure Event satisfying the terms
of Section 5(a) above, the NBA shall have the right to terminate this
Agreement as of the sixtieth (60th) day following delivery to the Players
Association of a written notice of termination, which must be delivered to
the Players Association within sixty (60) days of the Force Majeure Event.
During the sixty-day period following delivery of such written notice of
termination, the NBA and the Players Association shall engage in good faith
negotiations for the purpose of entering into a successor agreement, and
during such period the provisions of Article XXX shall remain in full force
and effect.

 

Expansion/contraction

Expansion (the adding ot teams) and contraction (the removal of teams) are barely mentioned in the CBA at all. This is because they are not really NBPA matters, and the CBA is an agreement between the NBA and NBPA. The pair do get a mention in the short Article XL, though.

The NBA has the power to add and subtract teams. However, in the event of expansion, hey will work with the Player's Association to

(2) Notwithstanding Section 2(a)(1) above, in the event that
Projected BRI for any Salary Cap Year in which one or more
Expansion Teams is scheduled to play its second Season, plus
Projected Local Expansion Team BRI for such Salary Cap Year,
multiplied by the applicable percentage of Projected BRI set forth in
Section 2(a)(1) above, less Projected Benefits for such Salary Cap
Year (including for the Expansion Team(s)), divided by the number
of Teams scheduled to play in the NBA during such Salary Cap Year
(including the Expansion Team(s)), exceeds the Salary Cap
calculated in accordance with Section 2(a)(1) above, the Salary Cap
shall equal the amount calculated pursuant to this Section 2(a)(2).

 

ARTICLE XL
EXPANSION AND CONTRACTION
Section 1.

Expansion.

The NBA may determine during the term of this Agreement to expand
the number of Teams and to have existing Teams make available for
assignment to any such Expansion Teams the Player Contracts of a certain
number of Veterans under substantially the same terms and in substantially
the same manner that Player Contracts were made available to the Charlotte
expansion Team pursuant to the 1999 NBA/NBPA Collective Bargaining
Agreement; provided, however, that any change shall be subject to the
approval of the Players Association, which shall not be unreasonably
withheld.
Section 2.

Contraction.

If, during the term of this Agreement, the NBA decides to contract the
number of Teams, (a) the NBA shall provide written notice of such decision
to the Players Association, and (b) the NBA and the Players Association
shall negotiate and agree upon the effects of such decision on the players
and the procedures to be followed in connection therewith.

Player military duty

Article V of the CBA - ahead of Article VI, the one about free agency, a testament to the piecemeal nature of an agreement built up over time - deals with the matter of players drafted into military service. It is the shortest Article of the entire CBA.

 

shortfall amount

(5)(i) For each Salary Cap Year beginning with the 2023-24 Salary
Cap Year, in the event that (A) there is a Shortfall Amount (as
defined in Section 12(a)(21) below) for such Salary Cap Year,
and (B) the Carryover Amount (as defined in Section 12(a)(12)
below) in respect of the subsequent Salary Cap Year is equal to
zero (0), then the Salary Cap, Minimum Team Salary, Tax Level,
First Apron Level, and Second Apron Level for such
subsequent Salary Cap Year (as calculated in accordance with
Sections 2(a)(1)-(4) above) shall each be increased by an amount
equal to the Shortfall Amount divided by the number of Teams
in the NBA during such subsequent Salary Cap Year (other
than Expansion Teams in their first two (2) Salary Cap Years in
the NBA).

 

overage

For each Salary Cap Year beginning with the 2023-24 Salary
Cap Year, in the event that there is an Overage Amount (as
defined in Section 12(a)(20) below) for such Salary Cap Year
that exceeds six percent (6%) of Total Salaries and Benefits,
then the Salary Cap, Minimum Team Salary, Tax Level, First
Apron Level, and Second Apron Level for the subsequent
Salary Cap Year (as calculated in accordance with Sections
2(a)(1)-(4) above) shall each be reduced by an amount
calculated as follows:
STEP 1: Subtract six percent (6%) of Total Salaries and
Benefits from the Overage Amount.
STEP 2: If Projected BRI for the subsequent Salary Cap
Year does not exceed BRI for the Salary Cap Year
by more than eight percent (8%) of BRI for the
Salary Cap Year or the Overage Amount described
above exceeds nine percent (9%) of Total Salaries
and Benefits, then divide the result of Step 1 by the
number of Teams in the NBA during the
subsequent Salary Cap Year (other than Expansion
174 Article VII
Teams in their first two (2) Salary Cap Years in the
NBA). The result of this calculation is the amount
of the reduction in each of the Salary Cap,
Minimum Team Salary, Tax Level, First Apron
Level, and Second Apron Level for such
subsequent Salary Cap Year, and no further steps
are required.
If Projected BRI for the subsequent Salary Cap
Year exceeds one hundred eight percent (108%) of
BRI for the Salary Cap Year and the Overage
Amount described above does not exceed nine
percent (9%) of Total Salaries and Benefits, then
proceed to Step 3.
STEP 3: Subtract one hundred eight percent (108%) of BRI
for the Salary Cap Year from Projected BRI for the
subsequent Salary Cap Year.
STEP 4: Multiply the result of Step 3 by fifty percent (50%).
STEP 5: Subtract the result of Step 4 from the result of
Step 1. If the result of this step is less than
zero (0), then no adjustments shall be made to the
Salary Cap, Minimum Team Salary, Tax Level,
First Apron Level, or Second Apron Level for the
subsequent Salary Cap Year, and no further steps
are required.
STEP 6: Divide the result of Step 5 by the number of
Teams in the NBA during such subsequent Salary
Cap Year (other than Expansion Teams in their
first two (2) Salary Cap Years in the NBA). The
result of this calculation is the amount of the
reduction in each of the Salary Cap, Minimum
Team Salary, Tax Level, First Apron Level, and
Second Apron Level for such subsequent Salary
Cap Year.
Article VII 175
Example: Assume: (i) 2024-25 Total Salaries and Benefits is $5.5 billion, the
2024-25 Designated Share is $5.1 billion, and the resulting 2024-25 Overage
Amount is $400 million (which equals approximately 7.3% of Total Salaries
and Benefits); (ii) 2025-26 Projected BRI is $10.5 billion, 2024-25 BRI is
$10 billion, and thus 2025-26 Projected BRI exceeds 2024-25 BRI by 5%;
and (iii) there are 30 Teams in the NBA in the 2025-26 Season. The 2025-
26 Salary Cap, Minimum Team Salary, Tax Level, First Apron Level, and
Second Apron Level would each be reduced by $2,333,333 (i.e., $70 million
(i.e., 2024-25 Overage Amount of $400 million less $330 million (i.e., 6% of
2024-25 Total Salaries and Benefits) divided by 30 (i.e., the number of Teams
in the NBA during the 2025-26 Season)).
Example: Same assumptions as in the prior example, except assume 2025-26
Projected BRI is $10.9 billion (instead of $10.5 billion), and thus 2025-26
Projected BRI exceeds 2024-25 BRI by 9%. The 2025-26 Salary Cap,
Minimum Team Salary, Tax Level, First Apron Level, and Second Apron
Level would each be reduced by $666,667 (i.e., the difference between the $70
million from the prior example and $50 million (i.e., 50% of $100 million (i.e.,
2025-26 Projected BRI of $10.9 billion less $10.8 billion (i.e., 108% of 2024-
25 BRI of $10 billion)) divided by 30 (i.e., the number of Teams in the NBA
during the 2025-26 Season)))

 

 

Early CBA termination

(a) in any one season, five or more teams engaged in collusive conduct that negatively affected five or more players,

(b) in any two consecutive seasons, seven or more teams engaged in collusive conduct that negatively affected seven or more players, or

(c) the Players Association brings a successful action demonstrating ten players have been negatively affected by collusive behaviour across the life of the agreement,

It should be noted that no previous CBA has ever been terminated for any of the above reasons, or indeed any reasons, other than the option early ending date. It should further be noted that while the coronavirus pandemic could have sufficed as a sufficient force majeure enough to terminate, the two parties did not exercise the option to do so, instead working on what needed adjusting for the next two seasons. It benefits neither party to blow the agreement up lightly - if they can resolve, they will.

Player hold-outs

  Threshold Tax calculations Tax Rates Repeater tax Rebates

- The more your team are over the luxury tax threshold, the more your team will pay.

- The more regularly your team is over the luxury tax threshold, the more your team will pay, too.

- Teams under the tax threshold not only avoid penalty, but get rebates, which do not change their salary cap picture but which do improve the cash position.

- In addition to the luxury tax - whose effectiveness as a payroll deterrent had dwindled in light of the Golden State Warriors' extravagant spending - the NBA has recently introduced the "apron" thresholds, which exist in addition to the tax, and which are designed to reduce excessive spending not just through extra payments but through reduced spending options. See the Aprons page for more.