NBA owners are considering how they can expand its budget to retain top executives in the league office, according to multiple sources familiar with the plan.
Among the possibilities under consideration is a pool of money to help boost compensation packages at the C-suite and VP levels.
Outside of the commissioner position, compensation typically trails the offering from private companies. There is also no equity or public stock price that often forms the core of long-term incentive plans. League are also less flexible about location and business travel requirements.
Adam Silver has drawn interest in recent years from technology companies looking to pull him away from the league, according to one of the people.
“Especially in the day and age that we live in, where executives at hyper-growth businesses, tech startups or media companies are all locked in with some kind of equity or LTIP,” said Asher Simons, co-founder of CAA’s executive search division. “Teams and leagues now are having to battle that.”
The NBA has had some high-profile executive departures in the last few years.
The NBA's league office is funded via revenue sharing with teams keeping 94 percent of their regular season home gate receipts and the remaining six percent allocated to the league.