Fascinating. Those greedy, self-centered NBA children were able to easily cruise to a labor agreement, unlike those blue collar, hard-working NHL players. I wonder why...The sides reached agreement on several key issues that had held up a settlement since serious talks began in late February. Among them were a one-year increase in the minimum age for draft eligibility, a reduction in the maximum length of long-term contracts from seven years to six, and reductions in the size of annual salary increases in those long-term contracts from a maximum of 12½ percent to 10½ percent.
Veterans will now be subject to four annual random drug tests for performance-enhancing and recreational drugs, an increase from current rules calling one test at the start of training camp. Penalties for steroid violators were raised from five to 10 games for a first offense, 25 games for a second offense, one year for a third offense and a lifetime ban for a fourth.
Players with less than two years in the league will be eligible to be assigned to the minor league NBDL, where the minimum age will be reduced from 20 to 18.
Decreasing contract lengths is a great thing, which should give teams more flexibility in managing their rosters and improve the quality of the game generally.
I don't know how the 19 year age limit will work out. There are kids who are talented enough to play in the NBA but are academically incapable of going to college. As long as those players aren't thrown under the bus (they can play in Europe or a developmental league or something and get drafted after a year), then I don't mind an age limit.
┌┘ Miir
