The NBA's new collective bargaining agreement was finally completed and signed early Saturday, clearing the way for free agent signings to begin Tuesday.
Lawyers for the league and the players' union had been working nearly around the clock for the past several days on drafting the documents for the six-year agreement, which was agreed to in principle more than a month ago.
There already were two delays in the date for free agents to begin signing.
League attorneys will spend the next few days reviewing the agreement with teams, and signings will begin at noon local time Tuesday.
The salary cap will be set at US$49.5 million, an increase of US$5.63 million from last season.
For the first time, teams will know before the season begins what the luxury tax threshold will be -- US$61.7 million. Teams with payrolls over that will have to pay a dollar-for-dollar tax on the amount of their payroll that exceeds the US$61.7 million.
Under the old luxury tax system, teams did not know until the season ended whether the luxury tax would even kick in, or what the threshold was. The new rules provide a level of cost certainty to replace the cost mystery many owners complained about.
Free agents signing under the midlevel exception, which can offered by teams who are over the salary cap, can sign contracts beginning at US$5 million annually.
Twelve days after winning her second Grand Slam title at the French Open, Coco Gauff fell at the first hurdle on grass in Berlin on Thursday as beaten Paris finalist Aryna Sabalenka advanced to the quarter-finals. Recipient of a first round bye, American Gauff lost 6-3, 6-3 to Chinese qualifier Wang Xinyu as world number one Sabalenka beat Rebeka Masarova 6-2, 7-6 (8/6) in her second round tie. Winner of 10 main tour titles, including the US Open in 2023 and the WTA Finals last year, Gauff has yet to lift a trophy in a grass-court tournament. “After I won the first
Sergio Ramos on Tuesday outfoxed two Inter players and artfully headed home the first goal for Monterrey at the FIFA Club World Cup. The 39-year-old Ramos slipped through the penalty area for the score just as he did for so many years in the shirts of Real Madrid and Spain’s national team, with whom he combined smarts, timing and physicality. Ramos’ clever goal and his overall defensive play at the Rose Bowl were major factors in Monterrey’s impressive 1-1 draw against the UEFA Champions League finalists in the clubs’ first match of the tournament. “There is always a joy to contribute to the
Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka staged a “crazy comeback,” saving four match points before beating Elena Rybakina 7-6 (6), 3-6, 7-6 (6) in the quarter-finals of the Berlin Open on Friday. Sabalenka was 6-2 down in the final-set tie-breaker, but won six straight points to reach her eighth semi-final of the season. “Elena is a great player and we’ve had a lot of tough battles,” Sabalenka said. “I have no idea how I was able to win those last points. I think I just got lucky.” “I remember a long time ago when I was just starting, I won a lot of matches being down
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