NBA deal reached, season starts Christmas Day

After months of sometimes rancorous debate and argument, the NBA and its players have settled their lockout and an abbreviated season will begin Christmas Day.

The final resolution to a lockout the league imposed July 1 came in the wee hours of Saturday after a final 15-hour bargaining marathon in New York and ends the first work stoppage in the league in more than a decade.

A 66-game regular season – down from the usual 82 – is expected to begin Christmas Day with training camps to open Dec. 9. The deal is “was subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin Dec. 25,” commissioner David Stern told reporters in New York after the handshake agreement was reached.

According to several published reports, the final agreement has a little bit for each side to sell to its constituents when ratification votes are held in the next week or so.

The deal is for 10 years, according to reports, with either side able to opt out of it after six.

The league and players will split the Basketball Related Income - the pot of money from such things as ticket sales, TV deals, concessions, sponsorships and licensing agreements that determines how much cash is available for salaries – 50-50 after the players received 57 per cent of it in the prior agreement.

Free agency remains, with a few changes but guaranteed contracts for the players remain and there are few limits on the total value of contracts and the ability of players to move from one team to another.

"We thought it was in both of our interest to try to reach a resolution and save the game and to be able to provide the kind of superb entertainment the NBA historically has provided,” said Billy Hunter, the head of the former NBA Players Association, which had disbanded about a week ago in a last-gasp attempt to force the lockout into the legal system and spur a quicker resolution.

The union will re-form in the next few days to vote on ratification of the deal.

For the Raptors, a shortened training camp and pre-season (it’s expected each team will play about two exhibition games rather than the usual eight) may make it difficult to get off to a quick start.

With new coach in Dwane Casey trying to resurrect the fortunes of a team that’s coming off a 21-61 season, and a host of new players – the team has only 10 players under contract on a roster that can go to 15 – finding a quick level of cohesion may be difficult.

Comments

[Natalie]

And we're back!

Hope you are doing great Doug.

[Sherman]

This whole lockout happened and after an agreement, nothing good will come of it for teams like the Raptors. Superpower teams like the Heat will continue to be created without any barriers which will have the NBA with the Lakers, Heat, Knicks hoarding all the stars and rotating championships. Bad deal for the fans!

[Aftab Rohillah]

The fans should lock the NBA and the players out on Christmas day. I love the NBA but a 1 day protest from the fans should remind them that there would be no NBA without the fans. Don't go to the games and do not watch them on TV. One day only then we'll get back to watching the game we love.

[Dave]

I think the player endorsement deals should be a part of BRI. Without the NBA, these players would not get endorsements. I don't think BRI would be an issue if this was the case.

Also, it seems that if the player salaries are less than 50 percent of BRI, the players get money from the league. It appears that if the players salaries are more than 50 percent of BRI, the players keep the extra money. Is this correct?

[Ken]

What changes if any are there to the salary cap?

[Aditya]

Hey Doug, now that the NBA's back, I am back too....

Now, how do we expect the MLSE to go in the tax threshold now that the penalties are stricter than the previous deal? BC has talked, talked about how the ownership is willing to go in the tax level when it was $1 for $1. Now with penalties being stricted, I really wonder if they will be willing to go beyond the tax level for the duration of the CBA (hope I'm wrong)

[Mike]

Can you please clarify the "amnesty clause". I understand it will allow teams to cut one player and not have his salary count against their cap number. This sounds like a terrible mistake for smaller market teams as we'll see large market teams sign and waive big contracts allowing them tremendous cap space to sign the likes of the Big 3. Additionally, bad GM's won't be accountable for poor decisions (see Isiah Thomas + the Knicks).

Blogger's note: One time deal with current rosters to perhaps help get teams under new cap

[doug]

@sherman I think it is news to the Knicks that their "hoarding all the stars" and the Heat had the worse record in b-ball only a few years ago...what people forget or choose not to recognize is that the Raps had Bosh for 7 years, same with the Cavs and LeBron, Stoudemire was with the Suns for 8 years etc...and in the case of LeBron and Bosh they both took less money to sign with the Heat then what they could have received elsewhere...so no new system could ever alleviate that nor should it be....in the NBA teams have rights to their drafted players for a long period of time...and the only 2 teams that have superpower status and it's no different then in baseball with the Yanks/Red Sox are the Lakers/Celts and that has more to do with their team history, etc and again that will never change and again nor should it....plus the Raptors are a bigger market team then the Heat, the Heat are not a big market team far from it...just good to see deal done, as was going to happen as soon as the players disbanded the union, Hunter played it perfectly and the players held onto some very important rights such as guaranteed contracts...so well done and kudos to Stern and Hunter, for getting it done and the owners letting Stern do his job finally...

[Data Rapist]

"The deal is 'was subject to a variety of approvals' "

LMFAO @ Torstar Journalism.... what a bunch of hacks and clowns!!

Blogger's note: Actually, the double exclamation points are a journalism faux pax; as are the four periods for what I presume you mean to be elipses. And, I believe the capital J is not necessary. But other than that, your insight is so sought after I can't believe you aren't gainfully employed. You aren't, are you?

[Angelo]

hallelujah, finally I can get back to my bball fix.. Very curious to see who the raps will go after in the free agent market (if anyone this year), a big front-loaded offer to Marc Gasol perhaps to make it tough for memphis to match.

[Jeff D]

@ Doug Smith re: Data Rapist
Best.
Comeback.
Ever.

[Matt]

That's great.Instead of Canada ignoring a stupid lockout by prima donna, Canada can go back to ignoring a stupid game by pima donnas.
But don't worry hundreds of basketball fans (most of them just media shills) under this new CBA, the Maple Leafs will continue to bailout the Raptors losses every year and their season ticket holders will still be forced to buy Raptors to keep the attendance inflated.
Oh, and the media ban from reporting any of these facts will stay in place.

Blogger's note: And yet you feel compelled to come to a place where basketball is discussed, read intently and then comment? Hmm. I think you're in denial about your love for the game

[Matt]

Just speaking the truth, no one in the media ever dares say anything bad about basketball.
But we do get endless columns about how no one cares about the CFL, even though more than 6 million watched the Grey Cup last year, the Argos are the second most watched team in the GTA and Raptors games get beat by WSOP reruns.
Bet you this is the first time those facts were posted on The Star's website.

Blogger's note: Yawn. And, no, not the first time. Now, if you're done, am sure there's a hockey/football/anything but basketball place

[DC]

Doug, although the Raptors may not be interested in using the amnesty clause on their current roster could they not use the Chris Bosh trade exemption to facilitate a trade with a team looking to drop two players from their roster and then use the amnesty clause to release the player while possibly picking up draft picks or a serviceable player?

The exemption was to expire in Mid-July however I would think think the team would request for extension since the CBA expires July 1st.

Blogger's note: One of the unanswered questions to be resolved but, being under the new cap, not sure there'd be a need to use it. Under old rules, they'd have nine days but there's never been an indication they would have used it then; don't imagine they will now

[ikonn]

@Matt: seriously dude? There's nothing wrong with loving some sports over others. And there's nothing wrong with having a good debate with others. But what's the point in coming to a bball blog if you think it's a stupid game? Why bother even wasting your time commenting or is it because you have free time now that they have evicted you from St. James Park?

Let me modify Jeff D's comment:
Don't.
Come.
Back.
Ever.

[Lorie]

Hi Doug!
Well, I haven't been to the NBA website in months but this morning I clicked on "Schedule" and I see there's one posted with games commencing December 16th. Is this "The New Schedule"? Or should I wait for another version to surface in a few days? (I've got to organize things to include both the Raptors AND the London Lightning now: busy days ahead indeed.) Cheers! Happily Busy With Lots and Lots of Basketball Ones!

Blogger's note: You should wait for another one; that will bear little resemblance to that one

[doug]

@Matt just because I don't know or understand cricket as a game, it would be pretty infantile of me to call it stupid and a boring game etc....or any other sport, I think for instance that that MMA is a waste but I don't ridicule the ones who choose to watch it or go on a MMA blog and disrespect the fans of it...go back to the Sun website where the front page looks like a cartoon with big pictures and few words to read, I think that's more your speed...cheers

[orn]

Folks, if you read this article in Miami Herald http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/11/27/2520114_p2/miami-heat-gets-shot-redemption.html
(focus on the end of the article) you will see how the new CBA did nothing to change a team like Miami.
It looks like it helped. The owners should have been firm in the need to implement a HARD CAP. There will be a few other teams that will be going over the tax and not care, so teams like Raptors and many others will still be lingering on the bottom half of the league. Another reason not to spend money on basketball tickets. Maybe in 6 years the owners can try again.

[Manale]

I think Toronto having a Chinese player on the team would be great from a PR standpoint, but Yi Jialian is a soft, non-rebounding big man who shots a low percentage. In other words, he's kind of a bust.

Sigh. We're gonna sign him, aren't we?

;)

Blogger's note: Only if he wears Mengke Bateer's number. Been there, done that. Yawn.

[Cluck Kent]

Congratulations Doug on Steering your basketball blog through 5 months of no basketball. It was like watching one of those musicians who plays a dozen instruments at the same time and smiles the entire time. A regular one man band.

Of course I shouldn't diminish the entertainment value of the Irregulars. So maybe you're Doc Severinsen and the Irregulars are the Tonight Show Band.

In either case, thank you for an enjoyable and informative daily read.

[jason p]

Do you think the trail blazers would let Oden walk?. Would the Raps have any interest if the price price is right.

Blogger's note: At the "right" price, 29 teams would have interest, including Toronto

[Richard Y]

Basketball must be back, as the basket cases sure seem to be! Nice responses by Doug and the Irregulars (sounds like a good name for a band).

[Adam]

Hey Doug,

Both sides come to an agreement however STILL it's the fans who get screwed. A 149 day lockout and they will go back to work and continue to charge fans an asinine amount of money to see their team play games just like they did before their greedy standoff.

What pisses fans off most is the greed of both sides because we as fans sit at home reading updates on this labour dispute and just shake our heads as we realize nothing will change on our end.

Yeah maybe a more level playing field with more teams having a chance at winning a championship will occur over time but the fans continue to get screwed by empying their wallets.

I haven't gone to as many games once I got my big screen HD tv. You would think that when HD tvs dropped dramatically in price that teams would drop prices accordingly. I understand that it's all about the money but more teams have a more level playing field yet the true fans still do not have a more level playing field when it comes to being able to going to games.

The same lies with the Blue Jays. A winning team will put my butts in seats however slightly lowered ticket prices will go a long way. As I stated above, why go down to the park and spend money on parking, seats, beer, food etc when you could stay at home and watch the game (any sport) on your nice HD tv with your feet up.