The NBA's current television contracts with ESPN and Turner are set to expire in 2025, but negotiating extensions would "inject desperately-needed revenue into the system," writes David Aldridge and John Hollinger of The Athletic.

With a new television deal in place, “that money will come into the system, and they can smooth it out, and owners can get lines of credit,” one league source said this week.

With guaranteed revenues in the long-term, the NBA could conceivably "smooth" the cap decrease.