Jeanie Buss: ‘Contraction is Something We Have to Consider’

Assuming she knows what the word “contraction” means, the Lakers‘ high-profile executive thinks it’s something the NBA has to seriously consider going forward. From the WSJ: “The position has given Ms. Buss a new and unique perspective on the financial future of the a league that includes numerous teams losing tens of millions of dollars and one, the New Orleans Hornets, which the NBA had to take over last year after its owner could no longer cover the franchise’s losses. As a result, Ms. Buss even mentioned in an interview with the Journal that the NBA should consider getting smaller by folding some of its weaker franchises in poorly performing markets. ‘I would hate to see us lose teams, but I think contraction is something we have to consider,’ Ms. Buss said. “We may be in some markets we shouldn’t be in.’ In a sign of what Ms. Buss will be in for over the coming months, an official with the the NBA’s players union seized on her statements and said the issue of contraction was ‘clearly dividing the owners.’ ‘If the owners are not on the same page it will make it that much more difficult to get a collective bargaining agreement,’ the official said.”