The NBA has severely restricted the flexibility for groups to commerce gamers beneath its new collective bargaining settlement, which follows an period the place the league workplace appeared to need the excitement surrounding participant motion.
“One factor the league has cherished is participant motion,” one East govt mentioned. “They have been very invested in that, and now they’ve performed one thing that is made it clearly a lot more durable to make a commerce.”
Groups on the first luxurious tax apron are had-capped in the event that they soak up a greenback greater than they ship out in trades.
“How are good groups going to navigate by means of the monetary realities of retaining their groups collectively?” one other East govt mentioned.
There may very well be opposing elements the place groups are unable to afford to retain a few of their very own gamers, but in addition unable to commerce them for commensurate worth. These conditions are already starting to manifest with Brandon Ingram and the New Orleans Pelicans, in addition to Jimmy Butler with the Miami Warmth.