The NBA G League may close the loophole on player buyouts for next season
G League adding new wrinkle to rules to almost force players into buyout situation
Often times one of the most common grievances with the NBA G League are its paltry salaries. Players earn either $19,000 or $26,000 for a regular season’s worth of work.
Unlike the NBA where teams pay the players’ salaries, the G League ponies up the cash for the talent pool for each team. Players are also afforded the opportunity to pay a buyout should a more lucrative offer come overseas.
Depending on the salary level of the contract, a buyout of $40,000 or $50,000 would be paid directly to the G League by either the team obtaining the services of the player overseas, or the player themselves.
In some cases, those players or teams did not want to pay the buyout or simply could not afford it at the time, so as a goodwill gesture teams would often waive players and bypass the buyout option in order to let them seek greener financial pastures.
The G League, however, is all but putting an end to this practice for the 2017–18 season.
The league is proposing for next season that any player waived must remain in the player pool for 14 days before being let out of their contract.
This creates a problematic situation for those who may need to leave immediately for a salary increase but the overseas team won’t want to wait that long.
On one hand it makes sense, the league wants to protect itself and its investment in these players and keep rosters stable to protect the teams as well.
However, 14 days does seem a bit egregious, not to mention questions arise as to whether an organization can really prevent someone from earning a living for themselves.
What this essentially becomes is a no-compete clause for two weeks, which in some states, are virtually illegal.
The knife cuts two ways and for the G League, it will certainly be interesting to see what sort of feedback they receive from players and agents should this new rule be written and mandated in player contracts.
