The NBA wants more competitive balance and is considering an “upper spending limit” that would significantly tighten the rules on how much teams can spend each year on their roster, three people familiar with the matter said Friday.

The people, all of whom spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because no details of ongoing labor negotiations between the league and its players have been made public, said more talks are scheduled about the idea.

The limit essentially could eliminate the luxury tax as an option for teams and would install an absolute ceiling on what can be spent each season. One of the people who spoke with the AP said the National Basketball Players Association is not interested in agreeing to such a plan, the details of which were first reported Friday by ESPN and on Substack by longtime NBA reporter Marc Stein.

The proposal comes at a time where some teams – the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors, primarily – are simply spending more than other teams either are willing or able to. The Warriors spent nearly $350 million this past season on salaries and tax, and are projected to spend around $360 million this season.

That’s nearly four times as much as the San Antonio Spurs will spend this season, three times as much as the Memphis Grizzlies and a bit more than double the average that the other 29 clubs are on pace to spend this season. And most of those teams – at least 20 of the 30 – aren’t in line to go into the tax this season, either.

Talks between the sides on the notion, and other matters such as reinstating the ability for players to go directly from high school to the NBA draft, have been going on for some time between Commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA Executive Director Tamika Tremaglio and others.

The current labor deal between the league and its players is set to expire after the 2023-24 season, though either side can terminate the deal a year early by announcing its intent to do so by Dec. 15.

The league’s position on team spending isn’t difficult to figure out. If only high-spending teams in major markets can afford to pay huge salary and tax bills, that would create a major competitive advantage. By taking that ability away, better competition in more markets would, in theory, create more revenue – and increase player salaries.

It’s easy to see why players wouldn’t want any deal that essentially caps how high salaries can climb. The league has a salary cap and luxury tax threshold, though those are hardly deterrents to teams willing to dig deeper than others when it comes to retaining star players.

Golden State’s proposed tax and salary bills for the 2023-24 season is about $483 million as of now, but the numbers can change in the coming months based on other personnel decisions. The Warriors have committed more than $600 million in contracts to Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole and Andrew Wiggins alone, including what they’re making this season.

The NBA is coming off a massive financial year, with revenue topping $10 billion for the first time and basketball-related income reaching $8.9 billion, another record.

“The numbers did surprise me to a certain degree because it exceeded projections, and the projections represent where we think our business is going,” Silver said in July. “I think it’s quite remarkable from where we came 21/2 years ago.”

FRIDAY’S GAMES

76ERS 112, RAPTORS 90: Tyrese Maxey scored a career-high 44 points, carrying Philadelphia, without Joel Embiid, to a victory in Toronto.

Embiid sat out because of a sore right knee. A five-time All Star and the reigning NBA scoring champion, Embiid is averaging 27.6 points and 10 rebounds in five games.

They didn’t miss him and didn’t even need much from James Harden because of Maxey, who made his first 10 shots, seven of them from long range, and didn’t miss until a 3-pointer rimmed out with 8 minutes left in the third quarter. He shot 15 for 20 overall, going a career-best 9 for 12 from outside.

MAGIC 113, HORNETS 93: Pablo Banchero had 21 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists, and Orlando  beat visiting Charlotte for its first victory of the season.

Mo Bamba had 19 points and six rebounds, Wendell Carter Jr. added 15 points and five rebounds, and Bol Bol had 11 points and seven rebounds for Orlando, which had opened the season with five straight losses. The Magic led by 32 points in the third quarter.

Gordon Heyward scored 18 points to lead Charlotte, which shot 38.4 percent in losing for the third time in five games.

HAWKS 136, PISTONS 112: Trae Young had 36 points and 12 assists in just three quarters and Atlanta overcame Cade Cunningham’s career-high 35 points to beat Detroit for the second time in three nights, in Detroit.

Young scored 35 points when the Hawks won the first matchup 118-113 on Wednesday.

Dejounte Murray had 26 points for Atlanta, which outscored the Pistons 67-45 in the second half. Onyeka Okongwu added 16 points, Aaron Holiday scored 14 and De’Andre Hunter chipped in 12.

Cunningham added nine rebounds and eight assists despite foul trouble but the Pistons dropped their fifth straight.

PACERS 127, WIZARDS 117: Tyrese Haliburton had 25 points and 12 assists, Myles Turner added 27 points and Indiana won in Washington.

Assistant Lloyd Pierce was coaching the Pacers because Rick Carlisle had a previously scheduled event recognizing his daughter as cheer captain on her senior night. Buddy Hield scored 25 points for Indiana, which led by as many as 20 points in both the second and third quarters.

Indiana wasted little time pulling away. A 22-2 run in the first quarter gave the Pacers a 30-15 lead. It was 36-28 after one following a long 3-pointer at the buzzer by Washington’s Kyle Kuzma, but the Pacers kept right on rolling in the second. A run of eight straight points made it 70-50, and Indiana led 75-60 at halftime.

TIMBERWOLVES 111, LAKERS 102: Anthony Edwards scored 16 of his 29 points in the third quarter, Rudy Gobert added 22 points and 21 rebounds, and host Minnesota extended Los Angeles’ winless start.

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth and D’Angelo Russell had 11 points for Minnesota, which won back-to-back games for the first time this season and took control with an 11-4 run midway through the fourth.

LeBron James scored 28 points for Los Angeles, which was without Anthony Davis due to low back tightness. Russell Westbrook came off the bench for the first time since his rookie season and chipped in with 18 points and eight rebounds.

BUCKS 119, KNICKS 108: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 30 points, 14 rebounds and nine assists as Milwaukee remained unbeaten with a victory over visiting New York

Antetokounmpo scored nine points during an 18-0 run that gave the Bucks a 24-point lead in the third quarter. The Knicks got the margin down to nine in the final two minutes but couldn’t get any closer.

Milwaukee (4-0) is the NBA’s last remaining unbeaten team as the Bucks are capitalizing on an early season-high, six-game homestand. The Bucks have beaten Houston, Brooklyn and New York at Fiserv Forum after opening the season with a victory at Philadelphia.

SPURS 129, BULLS 124: Keldon Johnson scored 33 points, spoiling a milestone evening for former teammate DeMar DeRozan and leading San Antonio to a win at home over Chicago.

DeRozan scored 33 points, becoming just the 50th player in NBA history to reach 20,000.

The victory came hours after San Antonio waived Joshua Primo, shockingly cutting ties with the No. 12 pick in the 2021 NBA draft.

The Spurs refused to provide details about their decision.

« Previous

Sports Digest: Norfolk scores two quick goals to beat Maine Mariners

Next »

Tom Brady brings up thoughts of the all-time worst sports comebacks