According to US media reports, the NBA’s next broadcast contract value from 2025 is expected to triple. According to the labor agreement, player salaries are linked to league income. After the new contract takes effect, the highest annual salary of NBA players is expected to rise from about 45 million US dollars to 79 million US dollars.
Under the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, the commercial value of (NBA) has not decreased but increased. According to the National Broadcasting Corporation Business Channel (CNBC) report, from 2025, the NBA is expected to receive a superbroadcast contract of more than $75 billion in revenue and more than $8 billion per year. Affected by this, NBA player salaries will rise sharply again after 2025.
's current NBA broadcast contract starts from the 2016-17 season and ends in the 2024-25 season. The nine seasons totaled US$24 billion. Today it is almost twice as value-added.
The highest annual salary will be close to 80 million US dollars
Such a huge increase will inevitably lead to a rise in player salaries. Because according to the NBA labor-management agreement, the team's salary cap is directly linked to the league's basketball-related income.
"Forbes" magazine NBA columnist Jensen analyzed that a large number of super contracts are about to appear in the NBA. Currently the highest paid in the league is the Warriors superstar Curry (Curry). Curry signed contracts in 2017 with a total value of more than 200 million U.S. dollars, and his salary for the new season exceeds 45 million U.S. dollars. Jensen believes thatAfter 2025, a $200 million contract will be the norm, and a 300 million super contract will be a new goal pursued by top stars.
According to Jensen’s calculations, a single team’s salary cap will reach 171 million U.S. dollars in 2025, and the maximum salary contract is 35% of the team’s, or 59.85 million U.S. dollars. The NBA allows top-paid players to increase their salaries by 8% per year during the contract period. By the last year of the five-year contract period, they will reach $79 million in a single season and the total five-year salary will reach $347.1 million. You know, in 2015, the salary of an NBA team was "only" $70 million.
As player salaries are expected to rise sharply in 2025, this also means that NBA superstars will avoid signing long-term contracts in the next few years in order to catch new broadcast contracts. This also means that player changes between NBA teams will be more frequent, at least in the next few years.
Teams with 2020 rookies will face renewal issues
The most interesting ones are those who were selected to the NBA last year. Because their rookie contract will end in 2024, exactly one year before the new broadcast contract takes effect.
Jensen predicts that the best rookies in the 2020 class will probably consider renewing their contracts for one year in the 2024-25 season, so that they can become completely unrestricted free agents in 2025 and sign larger contracts. .
The two best rookies in the 2020 rookie class are undoubtedly Timberwolves' "No. 1 pick" Edwards (Edwards), and Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball (LaMelo Ball) . Take Ball, who has the higher salary of the two, as an example. He can sign a one-year contract worth $17.5 million in 2024.Then, in 2025, sign a 25% value of the team, that is, a rookie maximum salary contract with a starting salary of $42.75 million.
Moreover, after a short contract of one year, Edwards will become a completely free agent and can sign with any team. The Timberwolves will have no guarantee and may watch a superstar. Leaving the team, and the team got nothing. Teams that have won outstanding stars in the 2019 draft are also facing a similar awkward situation, and there will be no similar problems in the 2021 draft, because the four-year rookie contract will end in 2025.
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