via DenverPost.com
Said Stern: “I think that the franchise player is an interesting concept, I’m sure it will come up in collective bargaining, but I think players are entitled to get the benefit of what they bargained for. And the union bargains for free agency, the players serve out a certain contract length. … It’s hard for me to buy your premise that somebody who’s played for a certain number of years, under a contract, and is a free agent is thereby dictating where he’s going to play. He’s exercising his rights.”
The commish was also asked — Do you consider it de-stabilizing to have franchise players, like Carmelo Anthony, able to orchestrate movement by refusing to sign a contract extension?
“Not in the least,” Stern said. “The players have no obligation to sign the contract. And I remember when Kareem Abdul-Jabaar actually asked to be traded. Here we have a player who is keeping his options open. That’s his right under the collective bargaining agreement, and I don’t think it’s fair to hold him to a higher standard.’’
As for the collective bargaining agreement, which expires this summer, Stern said Thursday that the league needs to rollback salaries $750-800 million. On Friday, Players Association executive director Billy Hunter released the following statement regarding collective bargaining:
The position expressed by the NBA [Thursday] is regretful, since in February 2010, the players unequivocally rejected the owners’ proposal which called for a hard cap, a 40 percent rollback in player salaries, unlimited expense deductions and the elimination of guaranteed contracts. The players and the union would prefer to work towards attaining a fair deal that addresses concerns raised by both sides and improves the game. But, if the owners maintain their position it will inevitably result in a lockout and the cancellation of part or all of the 2011-2012 season. The players and union will prepare accordingly.
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