Report: NBPA has already advised players on lockout protections for 2017

Do you remember? It was only three years ago. The 2011 NBA lockout. A season nearly lost, an entire offseason focused on collective bargaining instead of free agency and, you know, actual basketball.

Well, you're in luck, because the NBA may be getting set to do it all over again in just three short years. Rejoice!

No, seriously. The NBPA, the union that represents players in collective bargaining has already warned players about the possibility of a lockout following the 2016-17 NBA season, when both the owners and the players have the option to pull out of the current agreement to negotiate a new one. 

In a letter to free agents, the association is encouraging players to take payouts over longer periods of time to protect against a potential lockout:

There are several issues that could be contentious in the next round of collective bargaining. Player age minimums, the sky-rocketing value of NBA franchises and a new television deal set to begin in 2016-17 all stand out as possible examples that may not be deal breakers alone but will be, at best, heavily-discussed matters.

The NBPA is currently without an executive director, a search that remains ongoing and will obviously need to be ironed out well in advance of negotiations.

This is all very far in advance and may seem like far too forward-thinking, but the potential for a lockout and a new collective bargaining agreement in 2017 could have far-reaching impacts on this year's free agent class. For example, would LeBron James want to take a shorter deal to re-up closer to the lockout, when the salary cap could be higher due to TV deals? Would a player take a lesser annual salary to stretch their contract beyond 2017? These are important considerations, as much as they may seem to be on the periphery in 2014.