NBA Finalizes Collective Bargaining Agreement Including Expansion Team Salary Caps

The NBA is set to return to NBC on October 21 with a pregame show at 6:30 p.m. ET followed by a doubleheader starting at 7:30 p.m., with participating teams to be announced soon. Discussions around NBA player movements continue, including updates on free agency and trade rumors involving notable players like Chris Paul and Nikola Vučević. Historical near-miss trades and draft decisions reveal how different team rosters and NBA dynasties might have been, including a potential 2017 deal that would have paired Carmelo Anthony and Paul George with LeBron James in Cleveland, and a 1984 draft consideration involving Michael Jordan and Clyde Drexler. The NBA's latest collective bargaining agreement outlines specific salary cap rules for expansion teams over their first three years, starting with a cap at 66.7 percent of the league's salary cap in year one and gradually increasing to full parity by year three. These developments highlight ongoing changes and strategic decisions shaping the future landscape of the league.