In a statement released Friday evening, the NBA and NBPA announced they have reached an agreement on a plan to reduce player payments in the event regular-season and/or playoff games are lost because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
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“Through this agreement, and in order to provide players with a more gradual salary reduction schedule, partial reductions of 25 percent will begin with the players’ twice-a-month payment due on May 15,” the statement said. “The CBA stipulates that the compensation of all NBA roster players shall be reduced in the event of a ‘force majeure’ event, such as an epidemic or government order, in accordance with a formula based on the number of games missed.”
“Force majeure” events are covered under Article XXXIX, Section 5 of the CBA:
If the season does resume at some point this summer, the money taken through the reductions could later be returned to the players. If games are lost, then team owners would be able to keep a percentage of the wages.
The NBA currently has no plans to cancel the season, and it could be June 15 before players know whether games will be canceled, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. NBA commissioner Adam Silver told reporters Friday night that the league is not in a position to make a decision about the season.
Prior to the agreement on the payment plan, players were receiving standard paychecks. NBA commissioner Adam Silver suspended the season on March 11 following a positive COVID-19 test for Jazz center Rudy Gobert.
