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David Kelly was hired as executive director for the National Basketball Players Association in February, took over for Andre Iguodala in July and has at least two years until he could realistically be at a bargaining table with commissioner Adam Silver. Yet, just three months into the job, things seem to have escalated quickly with Kelly, the players union and the league’s salary restrictions: Already, Kelly is talking about a work stoppage if those salary rules don’t change.
In an extensive interview with Sports Illustrated, Kelly said he was “100 percent” preparing players for a work stoppage and “there’s some steps that we’re taking to make sure that we’re prepared.” Asked how far he would go to extract changes to the very system the union he represents agreed to three years ago (before he was on board), Kelly said “(as) far as necessary,” and later said he thought the union’s opposition “could” lead to a work stoppage. He added, “(I) don’t hope to have one.” He said he was open — and hopeful — to finding middle ground with the league so that the players’ concerns are met while competitive balance is maintained.
The collective bargaining agreement between the owners and NBA players runs through 2030. Either side could opt out in the summer of 2029. To trigger it, the side looking to back out early would have to inform the other of its intentions by Oct. 15, 2028. In said CBA, there is an “aprons” system in place for how much teams can spend on rosters, with stiff financial and roster-building penalties for teams that spend over the first and second aprons on players. This season, with a salary cap of $164.961 million and a luxury-tax threshold of $200.428 million, the first apron is set at $209.015 million and the second apron at $221.686 million. An NBA spokesman did not return a message seeking comment on Kelly’s SI interview, but, in general, the NBA’s front office is sensitive to the expanded rhetoric around the apron system being punitive toward players.
Mike Vorkunov: Myles Turner has been elected as a VP on the NBPA Executive Committee. He replaced Garrett Temple, who retired. This is now the full NBPA executive committee: • Fred VanVleet, President • Grant Williams, First Vice President • Mason Plumlee, Secretary-Treasurer • Karl-Anthony Towns, Vice President • Santi Aldama, Vice President • Jaylen Brown, Vice President • Trey Murphy III, Vice President • Myles Turner, Vice President • Gabe Vincent, Vice President
Sam Yip: The NBPA announced that Myles Turner has been elected a vice president of its Executive Committee. He replaces Garrett Temple, who retired after last season. Temple had served as a Vice President on the NBPA's Executive Committee since 2017.
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Dan Woike: According to a source with knowledge - there is no appeal/arbitration process for the Clippers to pursue with the NBA. It's not a right teams have. The NBPA could've pursued arbitration, but it accepted findings and punishments. They'd need relief elsewhere.
The new executive director of the NBA’s union says the players have an issue with NBA Europe. In an interview with Front Office Sports, NBPA executive director David Kelly said that NBA players deserve a piece of the revenue generated by the incoming expansion league in Europe. “It’s clearly being built on the backs of current NBA players, and prior NBA players, on the whole cachet that they brought to this league. And then to start a rival league that they do not participate in, participate in the economics of, we have a very serious problem with that,” Kelly told FOS’s Baker Machado.
He argued that NBA Europe will still generate “basketball-related income,” which is why NBA players should receive a piece of the pie. He said it shouldn’t be 51%—the amount the players receive from the league’s current revenue—but believes there should be a “good faith” amount.
“We are no fan of the second apron,” Kelly said. “I would say there is no fan of the second apron. Maybe there’s 30 or 31, if you include Adam (Silver),” he said, referring to the owners and commissioner. Kelly added that it’s “pretty clear” the second apron has made it “harder to keep teams together.” “The league will say that’s part of the reason why they put it in place—they think that it’s necessary for parity. I would point to the fact that there was parity before the second apron was put into existence,” Kelly said.
If a team were punished because of communications that contributed to a player on the team signing a deal with a team sponsor, the player could argue that such a move would have a chilling effect on his endorsement opportunities. The player and NBPA might go so far as to argue that the league has suppressed or damaged players’ rights of publicity and freedom to enter into individual contracts.
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Sam Yip: Trey Murphy on why he decided to take on a leadership role with @TheNBPA: I had two great vets that were very instrumental in my basketball career. And they were on the executive board, CJ [McCollum] being the former president. And they were just like, you fit what we would need. For a while, I was just like, I don’t think I’m ready for that. I want to make the main thing the main thing, worry about basketball, worry about getting a good foundation. And Garrett [Temple], it was two people that were trying to nominate me, and I just felt like I was called to do it, so it was my job to answer the call. I think the thing is I’m able to talk to people. I voice my opinions very well, and I look at things very differently than a lot of players. Just mainly because I didn’t know for sure I was going to be in the NBA growing up. I’ve had every role. Like I’ve been the guy that didn’t play my rookie year. I’ve been the guy that just came off the bench. Then the guy has just been a starter, and now I’ve got to point where I’m one of the better players on the team. So I just have different perspectives on different things.
Sam Yip: Trey Murphy on why the @TheNBPA decided to open a practice facility in LA: I really think it was because we had the facility in New York and it did really well. And there’s a lot of guys that are in LA all the time. Having a couple of runs at UCLA on a small court. It doesn’t really have a three-point line—not to talk bad about UCLA at all. But having a place, that’s small, I mean, it’s just the reality of it. It’s not a regulation court. But now here we have a regulation court, we have a weight room. We have a sauna. We have cold tub. We have turf. We have everything here. We literally do not have to go anywhere else to work out, and you also have all the players here in one spot. I had one of my best workouts I’ve had, and I’ve shot it really well because I knew there’s other people watching, and it’s important to have that. It’s like iron sharpening iron.
Los Angeles will remain the place to be for NBA players during the summer moving forward. The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) unveiled a 24/7 Performance Center for the league’s players that will be made available during the season and offseason. The NBPA stated that nearly 200 players spend part of their offseason in the area and the hub will help some of them come together during the practice and prepare for the upcoming season. The NBPA stated that nearly 200 players spend part of their offseason in the area and the hub will help some of them come together during the practice and prepare for the upcoming season.
Players such as Chet Holmgren, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving and NBPA president Fred VanVleet all provided feedback that helped bring the renovated space together. “I’m excited to be a part of shaping the PLYRS UNTD Performance Center to meet the unique demands of the brotherhood,” said Holmgren, a forward/center for the Oklahoma City Thunder. “As professional athletes, there is so much work and preparation that goes on behind the scenes to perform at our best. Our new LA facility is equipped with the wellness, recovery, and training resources we need in the offseason and beyond.”