The NBA is racing in direction of a fair richer future with international stars like and elite American expertise like and AJ Dybantsa. These names are set to be on the forefront of fueling a league backed by a staggering $77 billion TV deal, however just a few gamers imagine that they deserve extra than simply the paychecks from their franchises. desires a stake within the multi-billion-dollar empires the gamers assist construct, and he isn’t alone.
Brown’s phrases appear to have served as a catalyst for , who mentioned,
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“Let’s be actual…the CBA makes certain house owners, PE funds and out of doors traders can eat off NBA crew fairness, however the gamers driving the rankings and the merch are handled like quick‑time period contractors. And humorous factor is we ought to be like unbiased contractors. Since we’re w-2 we are able to’t even write off sure issues like our agent charges. BS.”
The 30-year-old will grow to be an unrestricted free agent subsequent summer time and has been a part of two trades in his profession. First, simply eight months after signing a three-year cope with the , he was despatched to the . Subsequent, halfway by means of his new four-year cope with Washington, he was despatched to the Bucks as a part of a multi-team commerce. These two strikes could clarify his ‘short-term contractors’ remark.
Kuzma’s submit got here as a retweet of a video snippet of Brown’s in January, when he was with the . In that dialog, the participant spoke about NBA gamers getting the possibility to take a position and get fairness in the event that they spend sufficient time at a franchise.
Boston Celtics at , Orlando, Florida, USA Orlando, Florida, USA, November 7, 2025, Boston Celtics ahead Jaylen Brown 7 on the Kia Heart. Copyright: xMartyxJean-Louisx
“Gamers ought to be capable of make investments alongside possession teams and enterprise alternatives. I don’t perceive why that’s ever been a factor. It’s such as you’re an athlete, they usually make it look like they will management how a lot wealth or progress that you may really accumulate. I feel that’s flawed.”
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“I additionally assume that another main company, in case you work for Apple, Nike, or anyplace, in case you’re a CEO, in case you’re somebody who has been on a board for a considerable amount of time, you get fairness in an organization in some unspecified time in the future. You’re a part of it.”
“I feel athletes ought to be checked out in the identical approach. You performed for the Celtics for 20 years, you must get a bit of fairness since you helped accumulate the expansion. That’s the half that will get misplaced in translation. The sweat fairness you place in. You get compensated for doing all of your job, however you don’t get compensated for the expansion. At main companies and firms, you do, or at the very least a few of the large ones.”
On the time, Brown was halfway by means of his tenth season with the Celtics. He has since been traded to the , saying he’s “excited and disillusioned on the identical time.”
It served as a recent reminder of simply how little management gamers have over their very own scenario, even a Finals MVP. Whether or not he’ll hold pushing the fairness argument at a brand new franchise stays to be seen.
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Present NBA guidelines forestall lively gamers from shopping for stakes within the groups they play in opposition to, largely to keep away from conflicts of curiosity and defend the league’s aggressive stability. After his second three-peat, Michael Jordan retired and bought a stake within the Wizards. Then, as soon as he determined to return, he needed to promote his 10 p.c stake and likewise step down because the crew’s president of basketball operations.
Kuzma feels groups make fear-based apron choices
Like Brown, even stars like and have repeatedly argued that gamers ought to have a path to possession. Kuzma had already challenged crew house owners lengthy earlier than his Monday submit.
Earlier this month, the 30-year-old shared his ideas on how groups navigate the primary and second apron guidelines. He feels issues have grow to be a lot tougher for groups to maintain their core gamers collectively, reward expertise pretty, and make roster strikes.
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, “Groups are now not making purely basketball choices. They’re making fear-based apron choices. Meaning good gamers get squeezed, homegrown cores get damaged up, fan-favorite groups lose their id, and the general product loses a few of the nostalgia and continuity that made individuals fall in love with the NBA within the first place.”
His clarification is easy: the gamers totally acknowledge that the league operates as a enterprise. Due to this fact, he believes the NBPA should strategy each negotiation with the identical degree of experience as crew house owners. This implies they have to contain high legal professionals, economists, wage cap specialists, and others within the loop.
Kuzma believes gamers deserve representatives who can match that degree of preparation and defend their long-term pursuits. Furthermore, he feels gamers usually obtain updates after key choices as a substitute of gaining sufficient data earlier than talks start. Kuzma is of the opinion that gamers, followers, and the NBA all profit when expertise receives truthful worth and profitable groups have an actual probability to remain collectively.
Curry believes gamers are underpaid
Curry additionally voiced his opinion on the identical in a on 360 with Speedy. When the host referenced ’s 70 million per 12 months deal and requested Curry if he thinks NBA gamers are underpaid.
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He mentioned, “The way in which the CBA is structured proper now, we are able to’t take part in fairness. That’s an enormous deal as a result of it’s a partnership with possession. It’s a partnership with the league, and we’re on the short-term of that income.”
“These numbers sound loopy, however what the league is doing, from no matter period you wish to evaluate it to now, might be 10x that. So, the concept we are able to’t take part in fairness whereas we’re taking part in is part of why I’d say sure, we’re underpaid.”
These feedback, coming from a participant who has had a cap hit northward of $50 million for the final 4 seasons, paint a telling image. Nevertheless, basketball gamers are free to personal stakes in franchises away from the NBA.
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Most present NBA stars have turned to soccer, notably the MLS. holds a minority stake in Nashville FC, and holds a stake in Philadelphia Union.
In the meantime, has a stake in an funding group that controls two groups, i.e., the MLS’s Houston Dynamo and the NWSL’s Houston Sprint.
, by means of Fenway Sports activities Group, has stakes within the Boston Crimson Sox. He even holds a minority stake in English soccer aspect Liverpool.
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