The NBA’s next media rights contracts could have long-term ramifications, Kevin Draper and Benjamin Mullin of the New York Times report.
The league is hoping to more than double the $24 billion it receives from Disney and Warner Bros. in the current nine-year rights deal. However, the ever-changing media landscape could make those expectations unrealistic. Media and technology companies are under increasing pressure to justify the huge amounts they spend on broadcast rights.
Amazon and NBC are potential new partners for the NBA, the Times reporters add.
We have more from around the basketball world:
- It would have been nearly impossible for Victor Wembanyama to live up to the early hype. Indeed, the Spurs’ new big man had some rough moments in his first NBA week and was outshined by the Pistons’ second-year center Jalen Duren, John Hollinger of The Athletic notes. In Detroit’s first three games, Duren notched a league-leading 18 dunks and blocked eight shots while averaging 18.0 points and 14.5 rebounds. Duren has also shown a knack for reading the game on the move.
- There are a number of players earning money without suiting up or from previous organizations and Sam Yip of HoopsHype looks at the most notable dead money cap holds in the league. That includes free agent Kevin Porter Jr., who is getting paid $15.86MM by the Thunder after the Rockets traded the troubled guard. Rockets wing Reggie Bullock and free agent Khem Birch, who are being paid $11MM and $6.985MM respectively by the Spurs after being waived, also rank high on the list.
- The NBA has unveiled special courts for each team to be used during the in-season tournament, via a press release. Zach Lowe of ESPN explains how the league came up with the idea to distinguish tournament games from regular season contests with unique courts.
That Bulls court is fire!!
I was wondering how much effort the league was going to put in to making these in season tournament games look different…
New courts is a start… different uniforms would also help…
Overall a lot of effort has to go into for it to mean anything come All star game…
Jalen Duren is him
Forget about Ivey, Stewart and all those guys the Pistons future should be Cade and second is Duren. Cade has all nba ability from the guard spot, they way he reads the game and plays is top tier and Duren has the ability to be one of the best centres of this next generation. He’s going to have 16+ a night simply on lobs, offensive rebounds and hand offs in the paint. Right place right time making the right plays. But defensively is where he shines, so athletic, so strong and showing great IQ and improvement. Getting after it on the glass and blocking shots at will. He might not have the offensive upside of Chet or Victor but I think he could do a job on them while being able to simply out muscle and out work them.
Pistons need to be getting shooters around these guys and making the right moves. I also like that Thompson kid they have he looks really bright but needs to improve as a shooter. Still think they should change their luck with Patrick Williams as a start
Love Duren …… still pissed Knicks passed on him. Pistons have best young talent in NBA. Hope the overpaid coach gets the job done.
The Knicks should’ve kept Jalen Duren and traded Mitchell Robinson.