NBA players will reportedly start taking pay cuts in May amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Players in the league will have 25% of their pay withheld beginning May 15, according to ESPN. The deal was agreed upon by the league and NBPA. The league is allowed to withhold pay under extreme circumstances and a pandemic is one of them. (RELATED: David Hookstead Is The True King In The North When It Comes To College Football)
Money will be returned to the players if the season eventually returns, and all the games are played, according to the same report.
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I guess this move isn’t too surprising, and it might be necessary for the NBA from a financial standpoint.
The games haven’t been happening since the second week of March. If games aren’t happening, then money isn’t flowing into the league.
If money isn’t flowing into the league, then teams can’t really afford to be shelling out millions of dollars. It’s just the harsh reality of the situation.
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Luckily, it sounds like the money will more or less be set aside in case the season returns in full, and the rest of the games get underway at some point.
If that happens, then the players will get some of their cash back. If not, they’ll have to get by with 75% of their salaries, which is still more than enough to survive.
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Let’s all hope this situation is over sooner than later. It’s been way too long without sports.