The Union Will Force Five NBA Teams To Open Their Books

Yesterday we published a deep dive on the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement, the expiration of which is almost certainly going to lead to labor war. (The union has been forwarding it to player agents.) Beginning this year, the NBPA will exercise its option to independently audit the finances of five teams.

For many years, the CBA has also included a provision that allows the union to engage its own independent firm to audit five teams of its choosing. This audit process can be initiated following the audit of the League and every franchise conducted at the end of every season by PwC. A similar protocol is followed in both hockey and football. To date, this option was used sparingly by the NBPA. Starting this year, the union will exercise this option and conduct the five-team audit annually.

The union has had this option since at least 1995 but rarely took advantage, a stunning indictment of former executive director Billy Hunter’s tenure. The union accountants will be on the lookout for any and all evidence that teams have hidden money that the players believe they should be sharing in.

You can read the full piece below.