NBA ‘pursuing salary limit’ in NBPA talks to combat Warriors spending

The NBA are reportedly looking to add an ‘upper salary limit’ in its negotiations with the National Basketball Players Association on a new collective bargaining agreement. According to ESPN, the league wants more competitive balance and believes tightening the rules on team spending will be the key.The NBA is essentially proposing a hard cap in an effort to keep payrolls from surging as teams re-sign veteran players to lucrative deals and exceed the soft cap. The notable example is the Golden State Warriors, who already have a $214 million active roster cap for next season with their current salaries. The hard cap would replace the luxury tax system currently in place, which allows teams to exceed the soft cap but charges them increasing financial penalties as they further exceed the cap. The NBA currently has a hard cap in place, but that is only triggered when a player is acquired via a sign-and-trade or a certain exception is used.Franchises based in larger markets, like the reigning NBA champion Warriors, Brooklyn Nets, and Los Angeles Clippers, are able to run up enormous payrolls and take the hit of luxury tax penalties. The NBA’s proposal, according to sources, would be a hard limit that teams could not exceed in any case. READ MORE: Lakers warned over making Russell Westbrook for Kyrie Irving trade The NBA are set to push for an ‘upper salary limit’ to combat spending of teams like the Warriors (Image: GETTY)Perhaps unsurprisingly, ESPN say the proposal has been met by firm resistance of the NBPA. The body reportedly consider the matter a non-starter. Instituting a hard cap would inevitably decrease the earning potential of players, which could disincentivise or even prevent teams from signing veterans to lucrative deals. With a lucrative new television deal on the horizon, the prospect of a hard cap would likely see players stand firm in their opposition.The lack of a hard cap could hurt smaller-market teams who simply cannot keep up with the spending power of the likes of the Warriors. However, players are unlikely to sympathise with billionaire owners, regardless of which market their franchise is housed in.DON’T MISSJames closing in on NBA record Abdul-Jabbar thought he’d have foreverLos Angeles Lakers have been forced into LeBron James trade decisionMagic Johnson has LeBron James regret and opens up on quitting Lakers Steph Curry was named Finals MVP as the Warriors clinched another championship in 2022 (Image: GETTY)