I said 2 years ago the NBA will be irrelevant in America within 15 years. People laughed. But this is how it starts.
First ratings decline, then fan interest declines, then local media revenue declines.
You don’t lose cultural dominance overnight, you slowly become less relevant until it finally shows up in the business side all at once.
The NBA has informed teams that the league is projecting a $165 million salary cap for 2026-27 -- $1M lower than previous outlooks due to a reduction in local media revenue, sources tell ESPN. Minimum salary $149M, tax level $201M, first apron $209M, second apron $222M also $1M lower each.