NBA and NBPA agree on player salary reduction schedule

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association have agreed on a player pay reduction schedule, the two parties announced Friday. 

“The CBA (collective bargaining agreement) stipulates that the compensation of all NBA roster players shall be reduced in the event of a 'force majeure' event,” they noted in a joint statement, “such as an epidemic or government order, in accordance with a formula based on the number of games missed.”

In light of the stoppage of games due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA and NBPA have agreed to reduce players’ paychecks by 25 percent, starting May 15. The withholdings are designed to ease the players into a “gradual salary reduction schedule” in case the NBA cancels the remainder of the season. Players are paid on a twice-monthly basis.

According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, if the season does resume, the players will be refunded based on the number of games played and the terms of the force majeure clause. 

The CBA allows the league to reduce player salaries by 1/92.6 for every game that is not played due to a force majeure event, including an epidemic.