NBA Swing: Could the League be Heading Towards a Lockout?

Read Time:3 Minute, 50 Second

The Collective Bargaining Agreement is without a doubt the most important contact in all the National Basketball Association. The agreement between team owners and the players union has dictated the rules of contracts, revenue distribution, the salary cap, and more. As times have changed, the CBA has changed as well. Unfortunately, the owners and players union have not always agreed on terms, leading to four lockouts in the history of the league. The most recent lockout in 2011 was a result of the 2005 CBA expiring and lasted 150+ days, cutting the season from 82 to 66 games. With the 2016 CBA set to expire following the 2023-24 season (though a mutual opt-out can occur after the 2022-23 season) and a lot of big changes occurring since the last agreement was signed, could the NBA be on the verge of another lockout?

One of the biggest issues the NBA has seen over the last handful of years is superstars demanding trades, shaking up, and altering franchises. Three players who have done this recently are Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving of the Brooklyn Nets, and Ben Simmons when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. Simmons did not play the entire course of the 2021-22 season following the end of Philly’s run in the 2021 playoffs. Simmons lost over $20M during the 21-22 season as he refused to play for Philly. This not only affected Simmons but the Sixers as well. Not honoring his contract, both Simmons and the Sixers lost money. Simmons filed a grievance in April, looking to get the $20M the Sixer withheld from him. He was traded to the Nets in February and has still not played a game. Some of that has been due to a lingering back injury and getting injections, but some believe he’s sitting out for personal reasons.

Alongside the Simmons and Sixers drama this past season, Kyrie Irving was arguably the biggest story around the league. Irving sat out around half the season due to his personal beliefs regarding vaccinations. He forfeited over $10M as he sat out until early January. When he returned, he only played a handful of games as he could only play on the road until New York changed their mandates. Because of this, Brooklyn management made it clear they would not be offering Irving a long-term contract come free agency. Just before free agency started, the Nets only wanted to offer Irving a short-term deal and he wanted long-term, resulting in him requesting a trade, looking to find a situation where he could get that deal. With a trade unlikely to happen, Irving opted in to his contract for the 2022-23 season.

Irving’s situation has ultimately played into Kevin Durant requesting a trade from the Brooklyn Nets. Easily the biggest star in recent memory to request a trade, Durant’s trade request has shaken up the Nets organization, who could be forced into a rebuild. No trade has been made for Durant but losing him would be a huge blow to the organization. In the last week, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has talked about not liking players requesting trades while still having plenty of time on their contracts and that being a topic of interest when the next round of CBA talks occur. In the last decade, plenty of superstars have requested trades, shaking up their teams. James Harden, Anthony Davis, and Kawhi Leonard are just some of the superstars who have forced teams into trades. Because of this, many believe the players have begun to control the league. Stars forcing trades to play with other stars, players sitting out, and more.

Looking back at the 2011 lockout, the effect on the league was hard. Players lost money and had to find alternatives such as playing overseas and in exhibition games. Staff from teams and team offices lost jobs. Hundreds of millions of dollars were lost for both players and owners. With the next CBA coming to an end soon, the possibility of a lockout is growing. Players forcing trades while still under contract, the impact of covid on the league and players, the distribution of revenue, the salary cap, and more will all play into the discussions. Due to this, it is possible that both the players union and NBA owners will mutually opt out of CBA following the 2022-23 season. If the two parties cannot come to terms on an agreement, the NBA may see its fifth lockout in the last 30 years.