When Kevin Durant decided to join the Golden State Warriors during this year’s free agency, many people considered them a “super-team” practically guaranteed to win an NBA championship. The league doesn’t have much parity as it’s pretty much considered a two-team league with many thinking the Cleveland Cavaliers and Warriors will meet in the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year. NBA commissioner Adam Silver expressed his concern on the matter.
via ESPN:
“Just to be absolutely clear, I do not think that’s ideal from the league standpoint,” Silver said during a news conference after the league’s annual board of governors meeting, referring to Durant’s decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder to be part of a so-called super team with Golden State. “For me, part of it is designing a collective bargaining agreement that encourages the distribution of great players throughout the league. On the other hand, I absolutely respect a player’s right to become a free agent and, in this case, for Kevin Durant to make a decision that he feels is best for him. I have no idea what’s in his mind or heart in terms of how he went about making that decision. …
“In a way, the good news is that we are in a collective bargaining cycle, so it gives everybody an opportunity — owners and the union — to sit down behind closed doors and take a fresh look at the system and see if there is a better way that we can do it. My belief is we can make it better.”
The league’s current CBA was negotiated during the 2011 lockout; it runs through June 30, 2021. However either the owners or the players’ union can opt out June 30, 2017, if it notifies the other party by Dec. 15. It is expected that they will opt-out as they’ve already begun discussions about a new CBA.
Hopefully they are able to come to agreement and we don’t have another lockout.
