And the Nuggets thought the cloud over them was ominous.
While commissioner David Stern spoke Friday about the upcoming NBA season, Heat and all, he also spoke of numerous issues hovering above the league — issues that could transform the league as we know it.
Murmurs of eliminating teams and a lockout will persist in the coming season, he said, as the league tries to find ways to trim salaries by $750 million to $800 million while getting the players union to somehow sign off.
The new CBA likely will change the way teams play their players — and keep their players. Speaking to NBA reporters on a conference call, Stern also answered questions regarding Denver’s Carmelo Anthony, who wants to be traded to one of a select number of bigger markets.
Stern was asked, “What do you say to fans in Cleveland, Toronto and Denver, who see the game’s biggest stars dictating where they go — and do you foresee the league having a franchise-player tag, like the NFL does?”
His response: “I think that the franchise player is an interesting concept. I’m sure it will come up in collective bargaining, but I think players are entitled to get the benefit of what they bargained for. And the union bargains for free agency, the players serve out a certain contract length. . . . It’s hard for me to buy your premise that somebody who’s played for a certain number of years, under a contract, and is a free agent is thereby dictating where he’s going to play. He’s exercising his rights.
“(With Anthony), we have a player who is keeping his options open. That’s his right under the collective bargaining agreement, and I don’t think it’s fair to hold him to a higher standard.”
As for the labor negotiations, players association executive director Billy Hunter released a statement regarding collective bargaining:
“Since February 2010, the players unequivocally rejected the owners’ proposal which called for a hard cap, a 40 percent rollback in player salaries, unlimited expense deductions and the elimination of guaranteed contracts. The players and the union would prefer to work towards attaining a fair deal that addresses concerns raised by both sides and improves the game. But, if the owners maintain their position it will inevitably result in a lockout and the cancellation of part or all of the 2011-2012 season. The players and union will prepare accordingly.”
Asked about Hunter’s statement, Stern said: “I don’t believe that Billy wrote that because he wouldn’t threaten me with a lockout. All I can say is — that’s what negotiations are for, and we’re looking forward to our next negotiating session. It’s classic negotiating rhetoric.”
As for contraction, a scary word for small-market sports fans, Stern said the league is “committed” to small-market teams.
“We’re going to have a new CBA and more robust revenue sharing. The issue of contraction is one that has to be discussed during collective bargaining with the players . . . but it’s a sensitive subject for me because I’ve spent 27 years in the job working to maintain all of our teams and even add a few,” Stern said. “But I think that’s a subject that will be on the table with the players as we look to see what’s the optimum way to present our game, and are there cities and teams that cannot make it in the current economic environment. I’m not spending a lot of time on it.”
Benjamin Hochman: 303-954-1294 or bhochman@denverpost.com
