ARTICLE VII:
BASKETBALL RELATED INCOME, SALARY CAP, MINIMUM TEAM
SALARY, AND ESCROW ARRANGEMENT
INDEX
Section 1. Definitions
Section 2. Calculation
of Salary Cap and Minimum Team Salary
Section 3. Determination
of Salary
Section 4. Determination
of Team Salary
Section 5. Operation
of Salary Cap
Section 6. Exceptions
to the Salary Cap
Section 7. Extensions,
Renegotiations and Other Amendments
Section 8. Trade Rules
Section 9. Miscellaneous
Section 10. Accounting
Procedures
Section 11. Players
Association Audit Rights
Section 12. Escrow and
Tax Arrangement
Section
2. Calculation of Salary Cap and Minimum Team Salary.
(a) Salary Cap.
(1) For each Salary Cap Year during the term of this
Agreement, there shall be a Salary Cap. Subject to
the adjustments set forth in Section 2(d) below, the
Salary Cap for each Salary Cap Year will equal the
percentage of Projected BRI for such Salary Cap Year
set forth below, less Projected Benefits (as defined
in Article IV, Section 8) for such Salary Cap Year,
divided by the number of Teams scheduled to play in
the NBA during such Salary Cap Year, other than Expansion
Teams during their first two Salary Cap Years in the
NBA:
| Salary
Cap Year |
Projected BRI
% |
| 2005-06 |
49.5% |
| 2006-07 |
51% |
| 2007-08 |
51% |
| 2008-09 |
51% |
| 2009-10 |
51% |
| 2010-11 |
51% |
| 2011-12
(if the NBA exercises its option to extend
this Agreement pursuant to Article XXXIX) |
51% |
|
(2) Notwithstanding Section 2(a)(1) above, in the
event that, subject to the adjustments set forth in
Section (d) below, Projected BRI for any Salary Cap
Year, in which one or more Expansion Teams is scheduled
to play its second Season, plus Projected Local Expansion
Team BRI for such Salary Cap Year, multiplied by the
applicable percentage of Projected BRI set forth in
Section 2(a)(1) above, less Projected Benefits for
such Salary Cap Year (including for the Expansion
Team(s)), divided by the number of Teams scheduled
to play in the NBA during such Salary Cap Year (including
the Expansion Team(s)), exceeds the Salary Cap calculated
in accordance with Section 2(a)(1) above, the Salary
Cap shall equal the amount calculated pursuant to
this Section 2(a)(2).
(3) The Salary Cap for the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year
for all Teams other than the Charlotte Bobcats shall
be deemed to be $49.5 million. The Salary Cap for
the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year for the Charlotte Bobcats
shall be deemed to be $37.125 million.
(4) The Salary Cap for a Salary Cap Year will be in
effect commencing on the day following the last day
of the Moratorium Period in such Salary Cap Year and
shall continue through and including the last day
of the Moratorium Period in the next Salary Cap Year.
(5) In the event that the Audit Report for a Salary
Cap Year, beginning with the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year,
has not been completed as of the last day of the Moratorium
Period immediately following the end of such Salary
Cap Year, then the Salary Cap for the Salary Cap Year
that commenced on the immediately preceding July 1
will be calculated pursuant to Section 2(a)(1)-(2)
above, except that Interim Projected BRI shall be
utilized instead of Projected BRI, Estimated BRI shall
be utilized instead of BRI and Estimated Total Salaries
and Benefits shall be utilized instead of Total Salaries
and Benefits, for all purposes under this Section
2 including, without limitation, the adjustments set
forth in Section 2(d) below. In the event that the
Interim Audit Report for a Salary Cap Year, beginning
with the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year, has not been completed
as of the last day of the Moratorium Period immediately
following the end of such Salary Cap Year, then the
Salary Cap for the Salary Cap Year that commenced
on the immediately preceding July 1 shall, until such
Interim Audit Report is completed, be an amount that
would have been the Salary Cap for the preceding Salary
Cap Year (except that if the preceding Salary Cap
Year was the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year, then an amount
that would have been the Salary Cap for the 2005-06
Salary Cap Year had it been computed based on 51%
of Projected BRI rather than 49.5% of Projected BRI)
had Projected BRI or Interim Projected BRI, as the
case may be, for such preceding Salary Cap Year included,
with respect to the NBA’s national broadcast,
national telecast or network cable television contracts,
the rights fees or other non-contingent payments stated
in such contracts for the Season following the Season
covered by such preceding Salary Cap Year instead
of for the Season covered by such preceding Salary
Cap Year.
(b) Minimum Team Salary.
(1) For each Salary Cap Year during the term of this
Agreement, there shall be a Minimum Team Salary equal
to 75% of the Salary Cap for such Salary Cap Year.
The Minimum Team Salary for the 2005-06 Salary Cap
Year for all Teams other than the Charlotte Bobcats
shall be deemed to be $37.125 million. The Minimum
Team Salary for the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year for the
Charlotte Bobcats shall be deemed to be $27.844 million.
(2) In the event that, by the conclusion of a Salary
Cap Year, a Team has failed to make aggregate Salary
payments and/or incur aggregate Salary obligations
equal to or greater than the applicable Minimum Team
Salary for that Salary Cap Year, the NBA shall cause
such Team to make payments equal to the shortfall
(to be disbursed to the players on such Team pro rata
or in accordance with such other formula as may be
reasonably determined by the Players Association).
(3) Nothing contained herein shall preclude a Team
from having a Team Salary in excess of the Minimum
Team Salary, provided that the Team’s Team Salary
does not exceed the Salary Cap plus any additional
amounts authorized pursuant to the Exceptions set
forth in this Article VII.
(c) Expansion Team Salary Caps and Minimum
Team Salaries. Expansion Teams shall have the
same Salary Caps and Minimum Team Salaries as all other
Teams, except as follows:
(1) During the first Salary Cap Year in which it
begins play, an Expansion Team shall have a Salary
Cap equal to 66 and 2/3% of the Salary Cap applicable
to all other Teams (the “First Year Expansion
Team Salary Cap”); and shall have a Minimum
Team Salary equal to 75% of the First Year Expansion
Team Salary Cap.
(2) During the second Salary Cap Year in which it
begins play, an Expansion Team shall have a Salary
Cap equal to 75% of the Salary Cap applicable to all
other Teams (the “Second Year Expansion Team
Salary Cap”); and shall have a Minimum Team
Salary equal to 75% of the Second Year Expansion Team
Salary Cap.
(d) Adjustments to Salary Cap and Minimum Team
Salary.
(1) In the event that (i) 49.5% of BRI for the 2005-06
Salary Cap Year is less than 49.5% of 2005-06 Projected
BRI; or (ii) 51% of BRI for any other Salary Cap Year
is less than 51% of Projected BRI for such Salary
Cap Year, then, in either case, for purposes of calculating
the Salary Cap for the subsequent Salary Cap Year,
the difference shall be deducted from 51% of Projected
BRI for such subsequent Salary Cap Year.
(2)
(i) In the event that Total Salaries and Benefits
paid with respect to the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year
is less than 49.5% of BRI for such Salary Cap Year,
then for purposes of calculating the Salary Cap
for the 2006-07 Salary Cap Year, the amount of such
shortfall shall be added to 51% of Projected BRI
for the 2006-07 Salary Cap Year.
(ii) In the event that Total Salaries and Benefits
paid with respect to any Salary Cap Year beginning
with the 2006-07 Salary Cap Year is less than 51%
of BRI for such Salary Cap Year (plus, if applicable,
any shortfall against the applicable percentage
of BRI for the prior Salary Cap Year (i.e., 49.5
% of BRI for the 2005-06 Salary Cap Year and 51%
of BRI for each subsequent Salary Cap Year)), then
for purposes of calculating the Salary Cap for the
subsequent Salary Cap Year, the amount of such shortfall
shall be added to 51% of Projected BRI for the subsequent
Salary Cap Year.
(3) In the event that Benefits for any Salary Cap
Year exceeds Projected Benefits for such Salary Cap
Year, then for purposes of calculating the Salary
Cap for the subsequent Salary Cap Year, the difference
shall be added to Projected Benefits for such subsequent
Salary Cap Year.
(4) In the event that Benefits for any Salary Cap
Year is less than Projected Benefits for such Salary
Cap Year, then for purposes of calculating the Salary
Cap for the subsequent Salary Cap Year, the difference
shall be deducted from Projected Benefits for the
subsequent Salary Cap Year.
(5) In the event that the Salary Cap for a Salary
Cap Year, beginning with the 2006-07 Salary Cap Year,
is calculated in accordance with Section 2(a)(5) above
(i.e., is based upon an Interim Audit Report for the
prior Salary Cap Year) and BRI and Total Salaries
and Benefits as set forth in the Audit Report for
the prior Salary Cap Year are different from those
in the Interim Audit Report such that the Salary Cap
would have been different from that based upon the
Interim Audit Report, any such difference in the Salary
Cap shall be debited or credited, as the case may
be, to the Salary Cap for the subsequent Salary Cap
Year, except that, with respect to the 2010-11 Salary
Cap Year (or, in the alternative, if the NBA exercises
its option pursuant to Article XXXIX, the 2011-12
Salary Cap Year) any such differences shall be debited
or credited, as the case may be, to the Salary Cap
for the then current Salary Cap Year, in all such
cases with interest (at a rate equal to the one year
Treasury Bill rate as published in The Wall Street
Journal on the date of the issuance of the Interim
Audit Report).
(e) Guarantee.
(1) In the event that for any Salary Cap Year Total
Salaries and Benefits is less than 57% of BRI, the
difference shall be paid by the NBA to the Players
Association no later than thirty (30) days following
the completion of the Audit Report for such Salary
Cap Year for distribution to all NBA players who were
on an NBA roster during the Season covered by such
Salary Cap Year on such proportional basis as may
be reasonably determined by the Players Association.
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