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Players with the National Basketball Association could see their pocketbooks take a hit if the rest of the 2019-20 regular season is canceled.
According to ESPN, the NBA and the NBA Player’s Association are in discussions to “withhold up to 25 percent of players’ remaining salaries in a league escrow.”
The NBA season was canceled March 11 after Utah Jazz player Rudy Gobert tested positive of the coronavirus.
The Jazz was moments away from tipoff in Oklahoma City before a Thunder team doctor rushed out onto the court and informed the referees of Gobert’s diagnosis. The refs called the game shortly after that.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that in the case of a catastrophe (like a pandemic), players would lose one percent of their salary under the Force Majeure provision.
Players lose approximately 1 percent of salary per cancelled game based on Force Majeure provision, which covers several catastrophic circumstances, including epidemics/pandemics. Once/if there’s a cancellation of games, Force Majeure automatically triggers under language of CBA. https://t.co/JWbj9q7Can
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 1, 2020
In a follow-up tweet, Wojnarowski said if the NBA has to pull a Force Majeure, then the league has 60 days of renegotiating with the NBAPA.
If NBA does lose games and trigger the Force Majeure, it provides the league an option within 60 days of re-opening and renegotiating CBA with NBPA. Deal runs through 2025. The NBA's expressed no interest in executing that option under these current circumstances, sources said. https://t.co/JWbj9q7Can
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 1, 2020
As things stand, the Thunder currently sit fifth in the Western Conference and third in the northwest division.
There had been discussions about the NBA playing games in the Bahamas or Las Vegas, CBS reported, but nothing has come to fruition.
Officials with the NBA, ESPN reported, are keeping a close eye on how China is handling their basketball season after the coronavirus first canceled their sport back in January.
ESPN reported that if a decision isn’t made by April 15, players will continue to receive their paychecks in full on a regular basis.
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