Here's a link to a summary of key provisions in the new CBA. This does not include any of the B-list issues still to be resolved.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sam_amick/11/26/tentative.deal/index.html
I have tried to pick out the most important differences between the new and old CBA's and summarized them here:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/sam_amick/11/26/tentative.deal/index.html
I have tried to pick out the most important differences between the new and old CBA's and summarized them here:
- 50%/50% (49-51 band) BRI split = around 12% overall decrease in player salaries
- down from 57% in favor of players
- minimum and rookie scale not affected right away
- $5M annual mid-level exception only for non-taxpayers (4 year max contract length)
- a bit lower than before, contracts shorter by one year, not available to tax-payers
- $3M annual mid-level exception for taxpayers (4 year max contract length)
- over $2M less than what tax-payers could use before
- $2.5 annual mid-level exception for teams under the cap
- not available before, allows teams to exceed cap even if they started off with cap room
- $1.9 bi-annual exception for non-taxpayers only
- previously was available to all teams
- traded player exception increased to 150% of traded player salaries or $5M extra (whichever is less)
- used to be 125%, taxpayers still restricted to 125%
- minimum team salary: 85% in year 1 and 2, 90% thereafter
- up from 75%
- increased tax rate for taxpayers with incremental levels starting in year 3
- used to be $1-for-$1
- 50% of tax payments go to non-taxpayers
- was 100%
- maximum contract length for Bird players: 5 years
- was 6 years
[*]maximum contract length for non-Bird players: 4 years
- was 5 years
[*]maximum rookie extensions: 4 years, Designated Player rookie: 5 years
- was 6 years
- Designated Player is a new concept, each team can select only one
- maximum non-rookie extensions: 4 years (3 years for extend-and-trades)
- was 6 years for all
- maxium annual raises: 7.5% for Bird/early-Bird, 4.5% for others
- was 10.5%, 8% respectively
- maximum salary: same as before except that 5th year players can receive 30% of cap if certain criteria met
- 30% cap max not available in sign-and-trades (new restriction)
- waived players' salaries can be stretched for duration of twice remaining contract years plus one
- new rule, only applicable to new contracts, streched salaries also apply to salary cap
- sign-and-trades prohibited if team salary post-trade would leave it $4M above LT (starting in year 3)
- new restriction
- sign-and-trades restricted to max 4-year contracts and 4.5% raises
- previously sign-and-trades were treated like any other free agent signings
- teams get 3 days to match offer sheets for RFA's
- was 7 days
- qualifying offers higher for players that meet certain criteria
- lower cap holds for first-round picks and Bird players
- extend-and-trades limited to 3-year extensions (2 new years if in last year of old contract) with 4.5% raises
- no such restrictions before
- players who sign extensions for more years/higher amount than above can't be traded for 6 months
- players who were traded cannot sign extensions for more years/higher than above for six months
- max $3M cash can be received in all trades per team annually
- new restriction
- traded players who are waived cannot re-sign with the team that traded them for 1 year
- was 30 days
- amnesty rule: each team can waive 1 current player prior to any season of the CBA
- 100% of player's salary removed from salary cap although team still pays his salary
- teams under the cap can submit competing bids to claim the player off waivers without assuming all of that player's salary
