Pat Riley recently addressed the deep concerns surrounding the luxury tax and the implications of the new collective bargaining agreement (CBA) in the NBA. “When you change things that have been operating in a certain manner for years,” Riley said, “then usually two or three years later, you’ll find out what the good was and what the bad was, on both sides of the table, both for the owners and for the players.”
Riley emphasized the impact of the new CBA, noting, “I think we’re getting to the point where we’re seeing the new CBA, as punitive as the tax ramifications can become, that teams will manage their payrolls based on that. And I think, probably, we’re going to be one of those teams, too. There come economic decisions and basketball decisions, and that’s what this is all about right now.”
Reflecting on his approach, Riley added, “I make basketball decisions, but I am more aware now than I’ve ever been because of the new CBA and what that brings to my desk every day.”
Despite the economic challenges, Riley expressed confidence in his veteran core. “When it comes to those basketball decisions,” he said, “I believe our veteran core remains reliable and hungry. Yes, sometimes at the end it does get a little bit stale. But I don’t think we’re at that point right now.”
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