The NHL might not be the only league in jeopardy.
The NBA’s owners and players’ union have yet to agree on a new collective bargaining agreement and are far apart on several points of contention, increasing the likelihood of a second NBA lockout in seven years.
“I think we could be heading in that direction,” says Michael Doleac, the Miami Heat’s player representative to the NBA Players’ Association.
The current agreement does not expire until July 1, but the sides remain at odds on several key issues, including a proposed reduction in salaries, the shortening of maximum contracts and a 20-year-old minimum age requirement.
There is even serious talk of imposing a “hard” salary cap, as opposed to the flexible salary cap currently in place that allows some teams to exceed the approximately $43 million cap.