It’s a possibility NBA players will have a portion of their salary withheld should the remainder of the 2019-20 season get canceled.
The league indefinitely suspended operations March 11 after Utah Jazz center Rudy Gobert tested positive for the coronavirus. It is unknown when — or if — the season will resume. And if games indeed get canceled, players may see a cut in pay.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the NBA and NBA Players Association “are discussing scenarios for withholding up to 25% of players’ remaining salaries.”
“The collective bargaining agreement maintains that players lose approximately 1% of salary per canceled game, based on a force majeure provision, which covers several catastrophic circumstances, including epidemics and pandemics,” Wojnarowski wrote.
The league already said it would pay players through April 1, but a check for April 15 — the next pay period — was not guaranteed.
No games have yet to be canceled and the league reportedly was considering Las Vegas as its “best location” should the season return to finish games.