NBA commissioner David Stern said the league's salary cap will likely be lower next season, but that he isn't overly worried about the economy.

Stern said he expects the cap to be "a little bit lower next year, and further decline in revenues would lower the cap even more. That's just the reality of it. But that's not 'the sky is falling,' because we really do believe actually that our business is quite robust. It's just operating in a different environment where 5-10 percent increases are not going to be the norm."

Stern was then asked by a member of the media whether he thought the economy would affect the famed free agent class of 2010.

"I have no idea, and it's not a concern to us," he said.

NBA commissioner David Stern said Thursday that the league has no plans to eliminate the luxury tax until the economy recovers.

"There's a difference between choosing to and having a need to," Stern said. "No, there's no contemplation of eliminating or reducing luxury tax."

Twelve teams received loans from the league this spring. Since 2003, 17 of the league's 30 teams have borrowed a combined $2 billion since the league opened a line of credit for loans used by teams.

"New Orleans is profitable, and they tapped in," Stern said. "I can understand you tap (into the league's line of credit) -- some teams do it to cover operating losses so owners don't dip into their own pockets. Some do it because it's a good idea. The money is inexpensive and the credit line is a good."

The NBA's age limit has come under fire, but league commissioner David Stern has no interest in altering it.

Stern defended the policy, which requires that players be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school prior to entering the league.

"This is not about the NCAA, this is not an enforcement of some social program," Stern said on Thursday. "This is a business decision by the NBA., which is: We like to see our players in competition after high school."

Stern went on to express his desire to raise the age limit to 20 in the next round of collective bargaining.

Congressman Steve Cohen, of Tennessee, has recently attacked the NBA's age limit.

"Not like the slavery of 150 years ago," Cohen said, "but it's a restraint on a person's freedoms and liberties."

In defending his own league, Stern mentioned that one needs to be 25 years of age in order to serve in Congress.

"I don't know why our founders decided that age 25 was good for Congress, but I guess they thought that was about maturity," Stern said. "For us, it's a kind of basketball maturity."