National Basketball Players Association Rumors

NBPA Monitoring Chris Bosh Situation

October 14th, 2016 at 2:57pm CST by Luke Adams

The National Basketball Players Association is monitoring the Chris Bosh situation in Miami, reports Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel. At this point, there’s no need for the NBPA to step in, but the union is examining the situation and would take a more “proactive” approach if there’s an eventual belief that Bosh could continue his playing career.

While Bosh has vowed to make his way back to the court, there appears to be no disagreement that such a return is not possible for the time being, after blood-clotting issues resurfaced during a September physical. For now, the two sides are in something of a holding pattern — if the Heat want to eventually gain cap relief by removing Bosh’s contract from their books, the team would have to keep the big man on the 15-man roster until at least February 9 before waiving him.

A report from ESPN’s Zach Lowe this week indicated that the Heat may ultimately decide to hang onto Bosh until after March 1. Waiving him after that date would prevent Bosh from being playoff-eligible for another team, and it wouldn’t allow him to play 25 games for a club during the 2016/17 season — if Bosh plays 25 regular-season or playoff games in a season after he’s cut by the Heat, his cap hit would revert to the club’s books, so the NBPA will keep a close eye on the situation to prevent any attempts by Miami to game the system.

While Bosh remains on the Heat’s roster, and may continue to do so for several months, he hasn’t reported to the team, and there has been no indication that he’ll be on the bench or in the locker room once the season begins.

President Pat Riley has suggested that the team doesn’t expect Bosh to be in attendance for practices and games, but the relationship between the two sides still appears icy — the players’ union could become involved in that situation if necessary, especially considering Bosh parted ways with his previous representation and has yet to inform the team of his new agent, per Winderman.

And-Ones: CBA, Injury Study, Global Academies

September 23rd, 2016 at 5:01pm CST by Eddie Scarito

NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the team owners who comprise the league’s labor relations committee have been regularly meeting with NBPA head Michele Roberts and her staff in recent months to work on a new collective bargaining agreement, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com reports. According to the scribe’s sources, those talks have been productive and there is optimism that the two sides may be able to work out a new deal by December. With either side having the ability to opt out of the current CBA after this season, progress on a new arrangement is good news for all parties involved. With the league’s new television deal reaping benefits for both the players and team owners, it is in the best interests of all to avoid a lockout and any potential of missing games while squabbling over a new agreement.

Here’s more from around the league:

While the talks between the NBA and the player’s union continue, not everyone is convinced a lockout will be avoided. SB Nation’s Tom Ziller opines that unprecedented increase in the salary cap this offseason, and the resulting windfalls a number of players have received as a result, will embolden the owners to try and impose a number of stricter salary cap rules in an effort to increase their profits and team values.
In a soon to be published study, Masaru Teramoto, an assistant professor at the University of Utah School of Medicine (h/t Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com), found that back-to-back games that are played on the road are significantly more likely to result in an in-game injury, generating 3.5 times the injury rate as those played at home. “As much as possible, we would recommend that the NBA consider avoiding the back-to-back games on the road,” Teramoto said. “If there’s not much they can do with an 82-game schedule, it might be time to consider drastically changing the structure of the schedule and cut, say, five games from the season.” While the league has cut down on the amount of back-to-back games, two out of every three back-to-back games still occur on the road, Haberstroh notes.
With the NBA set to open global basketball academies in Africa, China, India and Australia, Jonathan Givony of The Vertical examined how this will impact the league.

Categories:
National Basketball Players Association

And-Ones: NBPA, Monroe, Murray

July 28th, 2016 at 10:26pm CST by Eddie Scarito

On Wednesday, the NBPA announced in an unprecedented move, that it will now fund health insurance for all retired players who accrued three or more years of service time in the NBA (h/t RealGM). This program will be the first of its kind among North American professional sports, the release noted. “The game has never been more popular, and all the players in our league today recognize that we’re only in this position because of the hard work and dedication of the men who came before us,” said Chris Paul. “It’s important that we take care of our entire extended NBA family, and I’m proud of my fellow players for taking this unprecedented step to ensure the health and well-being of our predecessors.”

Here’s more from around the league:

The Bucks are still looking to find a taker for Greg Monroe and it sounds like they’ve spoken to the Pelicans about him this offseason. “I think [the Bucks] got closer than maybe has been reported with New Orleans during either the draft or free agency,” ESPN’s Zach Lowe said during today’s episode of The Lowe Post podcast (54:25 mark for the relevant portion). “Monroe’s a New Orleans native,” ESPN’s Marc Stein added. “I think that’s where he wants to end up.” Neither Lowe nor Stein suggested that a deal between the Pelicans and Bucks is currently in the works, but Stein expects the big man to eventually be moved, and those two clubs also discussed Monroe prior to this year’s trade deadline.
Richard Jefferson‘s contract with the Cavaliers is for three years, not for two as was previously reported, notes Eric Pincus of Basketball Insiders (Twitter link). The veteran will earn $2.5MM in each of the first two seasons, with the final season worth a non-guaranteed $2.6MM, Pincus adds.
Add former NBA player Flip Murray to the list of veterans considering making a return to the league, as he told Alex Kennedy of Basketball Insiders. “I would definitely bring a lot of veteran leadership because I know the game of basketball,” Murray said. “The way the game is now, I feel like I could fit perfectly in. I could be someone who comes off the bench and produces for the team. I’d also like to mentor the young guys and pass on some of the experiences and lessons I learned from playing against some of the guys I matched up against during my time. If I come in right now, I could bring a lot of veteran leadership and still be able to produce on the court.” The 36-year-old last appeared in the NBA during the regular season in 2009/10.

And-Ones: D-League, Blatt, Dragic, NBPA

May 24th, 2016 at 2:14pm CST by Luke Adams

Oshkosh officials are mulling the possibility bringing a D-League franchise to the city, according to a report from NewsTalk 1150 WHBY. The Bucks, in search of their own D-League team, would like to have an affiliate within two hours of Milwaukee, and put out a request for proposals — Oshkosh city officials are considering whether or not to move forward with the idea and submit a proposal to the NBA.

Here’s more from around the NBA:

Former Cavaliers head coach David Blatt doesn’t intend to take the 2016/17 season off, and is currently more likely to accept a head coaching job overseas than to take an assistant job in the NBA, as he tells Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today. “I don’t see myself not being a head coach somewhere but you never know,” Blatt said. “I’m going to coach next year. I’m not going to sit out. It’s not in my nature. I want to work,” he said. “I’ll be back somewhere. Could be anywhere.”
In the wake of Jeff Hornacek‘s offer from the Knicks, who are expected to formally hire him as their head coach soon, Ken Berger of CBSSports.com revisits Hornacek’s time in Phoenix and provides an interesting tidbit related to a former Suns player. According to Berger, Hornacek spoke to Goran Dragic and secured a commitment from the point guard, who said he’d re-sign with the Suns when his contract expired — days later, Phoenix traded him to the Heat.
The National Basketball Players Association has hired Jefferies, an investment banking firm, to advise the union during labor talks with the league, tweets Scott Soshnick of Bloomberg Sports. Jefferies will identify current and future revenue for the NBPA, per Soshnick.
Within his weekly Morning Tip feature, NBA.com’s David Aldridge explores the impact of the draft lottery results and takes an in-depth look at how teams approach head coaching searches.
A pair of ESPN.com articles profile two prospects projected to come off the board at the top of the draft, with David Thorpe examining Ben Simmons‘ potential, while Chad Ford and Kevin Pelton (Insider link) take a closer look at whether Dragan Bender has the potential to crack the top two picks.

Southeast Notes: Bosh, Magic, Lin

May 3rd, 2016 at 7:17pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The NBPA has requested a meeting with the Heat on the behalf of Chris Bosh to attempt to resolve the medical clearance dispute between the two parties, Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com relays. “Our top priority is Chris’ health and well-being. We have spoken with Chris and his agent, and have reached out to the Miami Heat. We are hopeful that all parties involved can meet as soon as possible to resolve the situation,” the NBPA said in its official statement on the matter.

The veteran hasn’t played since February 9th because of concerns about reported blood clots in his left calf and he is lobbying for the team to activate him so he can contribute in the playoffs. Bosh reportedly found a doctor who appeared willing to give clearance for him to play, but the team and its doctors disagreed with that assessment.

Here’s more from the Southeast Division:

Outside of Mario Hezonja and Aaron Gordon, no player on the Magic‘s roster should be considered untouchable this summer and the team would be wise to gauge the trade value of both Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton since neither has shown himself to be the long-term answer at point guard, opines Bobby Marks of The Vertical in his offseason primer for the franchise.
Jeremy Lin is set to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, but the point guard wants to remain with the Hornets because of how much fun he had this season while a member of the team, as Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer relays. “This is the most fun I’ve had in my six years [in the NBA],” Lin said. “Being around a great group of guys and a coaching staff that really cares. I’ve learned so much about the game of basketball, particularly at the defensive end. My biggest thing is I want to have fun and be happy. I’ve been paid on the lower end and had a blast, and I’ve been paid on the higher end and not enjoyed it at all. Honestly, money has never been the most important thing. Money is important because it shows how a team values you. But beyond that I don’t care all that much about money. Me coming here showed that.”
Lin also noted his appreciation for Hornets coach Steve Clifford, citing Clifford’s honesty and communication skills as the primary reasons, Bonnell relays in the same piece. “He’s not one to sugarcoat or lie to you, which is why a lot of guys love playing for him,” Lin said of Clifford. “What he told me from the beginning is pretty much how it went. I felt like for me, some of the adjustment was playing in such different roles. But that wasn’t because of false expectations, it was just about guys getting hurt.”

Union Mulls Filing Grievance Over Motiejunas Deal

March 6th, 2016 at 10:10pm CST by Arthur Hill

The National Basketball Players Association is thinking about filing a grievance with the league over the voided Donatas Motiejunas trade, reports Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports. The Pistons elected to cancel the trade on February 22nd after several medical tests failed to convince them that Motiejunas’ back was sufficiently healed from surgery last spring.

Voiding the deal sent the Lithuanian power forward back to Houston, where he received medical clearance from Rockets team doctors. He has appeared in five games since returning. Spears cites sources close to Motiejunas who fear that the Pistons’ decision could lessen his value when he becomes a restricted free agent this summer. Motiejunas underwent back surgery last April and before the trade hadn’t played for the Rockets since December 31st.

“The team doctor simply says whether you pass or don’t, although they may not do any checks,” Motiejunas said in an interview posted on the Lithuanian website Basketnews.Lt. “Those 48 hours actually just let the team decide whether they want you or not. The Pistons announced I did not pass the medical, although I surely did pass it and played even before it. I just got screwed. The injury was a pretense to call off the trade. They changed their minds.”

Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy denied that accusation and said the team had legitimate concerns about Motiejunas’ long-term health. “We went through a very thorough process and we made the decision we made for the reasons that we thought it was too much risk,” Van Gundy said.

Representatives for Motiejunas didn’t think Van Gundy should have made negative public statements statements about their client’s condition, Spears writes. NBPA president Michele Roberts and a union spokesperson refused to comment to Spears about the issue.

The three-team deal, which was completed at the trade deadline, sent Motiejunas from Houston to Detroit along with Marcus Thornton. The Rockets received the Pistons’ top eight-protected first round pick and a draft-and-stash player, while Joel Anthony and a Nuggets’ second-rounder went to the Sixers. To make room for Anthony, Philadelphia released JaKarr Sampson, whom the Nuggets signed after he cleared waivers.

Knicks Notes: Jackson, Anthony, Seraphin

February 12th, 2016 at 6:37pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony dreams of playing alongside another star player and wants team president Phil Jackson to acquire one, Al Iannazzone of Newsday writes. “I think everybody always kind of dreams and hopes that they can play with another great player, another star player,” Anthony said. “It’s a star players’ league. I think that’s what we all talk about every time we get together. ‘I want to play with you. I want to play with you.’ Even here different guys say, ‘Come play with me, come play with me.’ That’s always the mindset. I think everybody that’s in my situation, in my position, they all want the load off, especially the older that they get. You realize that you just can’t do it by yourself. Everybody knows that. You have teams, great teams, great guys — individual guys on the teams — that still haven’t won either. They realize it just doesn’t work like that.”

Anthony also relayed that if New York misses the playoffs again he would have to think about his future with the franchise, Iannazzone relays. “That doesn’t sit well with me to know that it can be three years if we don’t pick it up right away,” Anthony said. “I try not to think about that right now but in actuality you have to start thinking about that.”

Here’s more from New York City:

Despite the reported strong belief that Jackson will wind up back with the Lakers organization and fiancee Jeanie Buss when he is eligible to opt out of his deal during the summer of 2017, Jackson does not have “one foot out the door,” Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays. “He’s totally committed, that’s the type of person he is,” a source close to the Zen Master told Zagoria. “He’s totally committed to the Knicks until he’s not with the Knicks anymore. He doesn’t have one foot out the door or anything like that. He bought a multi-million dollar apartment in New York, he didn’t rent it.“
Center Kevin Seraphin hopes that the Knicks’ coaching change will provide him with more playing time than he received under former coach Derek Fisher, Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News writes. “I don’t have any thoughts. I’m not the general manager,” Seraphin said regarding Fisher’s ouster. “I just hope for more playing time. That’s the goal. It’s a new opportunity for sure. It’s not only me. It’s all the guys on the bench. It’s a new opportunity for us. We have to take it.”
Anthony was officially elected Vice President of the NBPA’s executive board, the NBPA has announced (via Twitter).

And-Ones: Silver, Martin, Motiejunas

February 9th, 2016 at 10:44pm CST by Eddie Scarito

Commissioner Adam Silver says that he loves the parity that exists in the NBA right now and believes it is good that smaller market teams are able to compete with larger ones for free agents, Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today relays. “What we’re seeing now is that players are moving to markets that have cap room and players are moving to markets where they see opportunities to play,” Silver said. “It’s not a function of market size these days. It’s a function of the management of the team and the opportunity in that market. That’s what you want for a league.”

Silver is concerned at how this summer’s anticipated cap spike will change the league’s dynamic, Zillgitt notes. “It will be disruptive and having been around the league for a long time, I only know it’s going to be disruptive in ways that we can’t even predict,” Silver said. “It’s not the way we modeled the CBA going into the last collective-bargaining agreement. We thought we would have more regular increases from year to year [in the salary cap]. You like to have a system where planning is rewarded and management is rewarded. Now, with all this unexpected cap room, teams that should not have had that kind of room [to spend] of course will have it.”

Both the National Basketball Players Association and the league can opt out of the current CBA by December 15th, and Silver noted, “clearly we’re operating under the premise that if we can’t get a new deal negotiated by then, they are likely to opt out. That puts a lot of pressure on both sides to work over the next 10 months, which is a long time, to get an extension done,” the USA Today scribe adds. Here’s more from around the league:

The Grizzlies have recalled power forward Jarell Martin from their D-League affiliate, the team announced. Martin has averaged 13.6 points and 6.3 rebounds in 30.6 minutes in seven games during his five assignments to Iowa this season.
The Pistons have recalled Spencer Dinwiddie from their D-League affiliate, Keith Langlois of NBA.com tweets. The move was made so Detroit’s team doctors could examine the point guard’s sprained ankle, Langlois adds.
The Rockets have recalled swingman K.J. McDaniels and power forward Donatas Motiejunas from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, their D-League affiliate, the team announced.

And-Ones: Union, Tucker, Labissiere

December 21st, 2015 at 4:14pm CST by Chuck Myron

The NBA and the National Basketball Players Association are on solid footing with each other, commissioner Adam Silver and union president Chris Paul indicate to Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post. Both sides reportedly want to make significant progress toward a new collective bargaining agreement over the next year.

“I’m not going to rank the relationship, as compared to other times,” Silver said to Bontemps. “I would only say that the relationship, from my standpoint, is very healthy right now between the league and the players’ association.”

Less than a year remains before the December 15th, 2016 deadline for either side to exercise its mutual option to terminate the existing collective bargaining agreement after next season. See more on the players union amid the latest from around the NBA:

The union has filed a multimillion dollar countersuit against former executive director Billy Hunter, reports Ken Berger of CBSSports.com. Hunter is seeking $10.5MM in damages as part of his suit, and while the union didn’t specify how much it’s looking for, Berger suggests the number is in excess of $6MM. A new collective bargaining agreement between the union and the NBA is likely to come before resolution on the Hunter matter, Berger contends.
P.J. Tucker is drawing interest from many teams around the league, as TNT’s David Aldridge indicates within his Morning Tip column for NBA.com, one that suggests a series of trade ideas. The Suns small forward is making $5.5MM this season but has only $1.5MM guaranteed for next year.
Kentucky forward/center Skal Labissiere‘s draft stock continues to fall, as Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress slots him at No. 5 in his latest mock draft and rankings, having dropped him from No. 1 to No. 3 earlier this month. LSU combo forward Ben Simmons tops Givony’s latest list, with Duke small forward Brandon Ingram and power forward Dragan Bender of Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv to follow.

And-Ones: NBPA, Ennis, Warriors Arena

December 8th, 2015 at 10:24pm CST by Eddie Scarito

The league and the NBPA held preliminary talks today regarding the next collective bargaining agreement, NBA.com’s David Aldridge relays (via TwitLonger). The two parties issued a joint statement regarding the meeting, which read, “Earlier today the NBA and NBPA met to discuss the Collective Bargaining Agreement [CBA]. Meeting participants included NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and representatives of the NBA Labor Relations Committee and NBPA Executive Committee as well as league and union staff. It was a preliminary meeting that included constructive dialogue, and we agreed to continue our discussions.”

Here’s more from around the league:

New Sixers chairman of basketball operations Jerry Colangelo has said that for this year, he’ll work in less of an active role and more of advisory capacity with Sixers management, sources tell Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders.
According to a recent poll commissioned by the Mission Bay Alliance and conducted by EDC Research, public opposition to the Warriors‘ proposed stadium in San Francisco’s Mission Bay neighborhood is growing, NBCBayArea.com relays. The proposal is currently garnering 49% voter support, a 12% decline in support since a Warriors-commissioned poll released in July showed approximately 61% support for the new development, the article notes.
The league has formed a committee to examine the increase in injuries related to tendon inflammation and pain, Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com writes. “Player health and wellness is our top priority, and the NBA’s research partnership with GE Healthcare is a significant step toward understanding injuries that affect NBA players,” Silver said in the NBA’s official statement. “Both everyday athletes and elite professionals will benefit from our collaboration, and I’d like to thank [GE Healthcare U.S. and Canada President] Marcelo [Mosci] and his team for bold vision and hard work.“
The Grizzlies have assigned James Ennis to the Iowa Energy, their D-League affiliate, the team announced. This will be Ennis’ second sojourn of the season to Iowa.