Posts tagged salary cap
NBA Docks Clippers’ Draft Picks, Suspends Ballmer in Cap Caper
September 3, 2026 // Article XIII of the CBA prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside their employment contracts. If teams find ways to compensate players outside the cap, they have engaged in cheating—not only because they have violated rules they agreed to follow, but also because such conduct undermines fair play and gives those teams an unfair advantage over their competitors. This isn’t the first time the NBA has imposed a five-draft-pick penalty for salary-cap circumvention. In 1999, then-NBA commissioner David Stern ordered the forfeiture of five first-round picks from the Minnesota Timberwolves and imposed a $3.5 million fine for a salary-cap scheme (the NBA later restored two of the forfeited picks, so the ultimate penalty was loss of first-round picks in 2001, 2002 and 2004).
Strike 2: Why MLB players will never accept a salary cap
August 17, 2026 // So in other words, the “voting block” of union members – made up of players making far closer to what Williams earns than what Soto gets – are the ones who are steadfast against a salary cap. They are why the union remains so strong, and why the threat of another lockout by the owners isn’t fazing them. The players know what’s best for the majority of the players, and a salary cap isn’t it.
No good news on MLB labor front: ‘Hope has all but evaporated’
July 18, 2026 // Some sort of labor stoppage appears all but certain as negotiations between MLB and the MLB Players Association have been anything but productive, according to numerous reports. ESPN insider Jeff Passan was the latest bearer of bad news Friday when he reported the sides were “far apart” in their positions despite initial hope in finding common ground.
Five-year contract limit? MLB’s drastic labor offer bashed by players
June 29, 2026 // The proposals come within the context of a $245.3 million salary cap MLB laid out in a previous proposal, and the cap remains the most explosive point of contention between management and labor. MLB first sought a salary cap in CBA negotiations in 1994, a year that ended with the cancellation of the World Series as the work stoppage dragged into the following year. The current CBA expires Dec. 1, and MLB commissioner Rob Manfred has strongly suggested the league will lock out the players, as it did in December 2021 during the last major round of bargaining.
MLB owners propose first salary cap since 1994 strike
May 30, 2026 // Teams that would need to increase their payrolls based on current projections for this season are the A's, Rockies, Cardinals, Guardians, White Sox, Pirates, Twins, Brewers, Rays, Marlins, Nationals and Reds. Teams that would need to shed payroll to get under the cap are the Dodgers, Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Phillies, Red Sox, Braves and Padres. MLB remains the only major North American professional sports league without a cap-and-floor system. The last time baseball owners proposed a firm cap --1994 -- it prompted a 7½-month strike that forced the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. MLB eventually withdrew the cap proposal after pressure by the National Labor Relations Board.
MLB, players’ union meet to begin labor talks, sources say
May 14, 2026 // MLB intends to pursue a salary cap system, a financial structure that players staunchly oppose. The current deal, which came after a 99-day lockout by the league that threatened the beginning of the 2022 season, expires Dec. 1. If there is no agreement by the time the deal lapses, MLB is expected to again lock out the players, causing a work stoppage that could jeopardize games in the 2027 season. During the opening presentations, sources said, the sides outlined their views on the game, noting challenges they see and opportunities to use labor negotiations as a tool to move it forward.
MLB owners, MLBPA reportedly set to begin labor negotiations soon, with salary cap at center of talks
May 4, 2026 // The current CBA won’t expire until 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 1. While starting negotiations in May or June could result in a deal ahead of that date, it seems unlikely, per The Athletic. If a deal isn’t reached by that date and time, the owners will likely lock out the players. That’s what happened in 2021, the last time a new labor deal was needed in the sport. That lockout lasted until March 2022. While spring training games were affected, the league was able to play a normal, 162-game slate during the 2022 season.
WNBA, union sign new CBA that will run through the 2032 season
March 23, 2026 // After more than a year of negotiations, the two sides reached a tentative agreement on Wednesday morning. As part of that agreement, the WNBA’s salary cap will jump from $1.5 million to $7 million next season.
WNBA vet and union leader’s strike insight is a wake-up call for fans
March 4, 2026 // The league has proposed giving players who are on rookie contracts and who make First or Second Team-All WNBA will have the chance to earn the maximum salary during their fourth season. If approved as part of a new CBA, this would give Aliyah Boston the opportunity to sign a maximum contract this year, while Caitlin Clark could do so in 2027, and Paige Bueckers could follow suit in 2028 The proposed first year salary cap is $5.7 million, which is a big increase of 280% from the 2025 season and the January 2020 CBA. By the end of the deal, the team salary cap would be $8.6 million, and maximum salaries in the WNBA would increase by $1 million. The current maximum salary is $249,000, and that number would ultimately jump up to $1.3 million.
WNBA projecting big losses in latest proposal; union disagrees
January 5, 2026 // Multiple sources familiar with the negotiations told ESPN on Wednesday that the WNBA is projecting that a recent proposal from the WNBPA -- which would give players about 30% of gross revenue and is believed to feature approximately a $10.5 million salary cap -- would result in $700 million in losses over the course of the agreement. Such losses would jeopardize the league's financial health, the sources said, and they would be more than the combined losses of the league and its teams in the WNBA's first 29 years of existence.