Report: NBPA to set aside money for retired players' health costs

The National Basketball Players Association will set aside money from last season's salary shortfall in the event the NBPA chooses to fund retired players' health costs in the future, according to CBS Sports' Ken Berger.

With the players' negotiated salaries for this past season coming in below the collectively bargained 50-51 percent guarantee, the union will receive an entire escrow fund of roughly $200 million – plus the amount of the shortfall, believed to be $57 million – according to Berger.

Such shortfall payouts are only expected to increase as NBA revenues skyrocket over the next few seasons as the league's new TV contract comes online.

The report states the NBPA executive committee – led by Los Angeles Clippers point guard Chris Paul – voted Monday to set that cash aside as the union begins to study a possible health care plan for its retired members. The matter will be discussed further when the players association meets during NBA All-Star weekend festivities in Toronto in February.

The plan has been on the union's agenda for some time. Earlier this month, the NBPA proposed using some of the TV windfall for the purpose.

Major League Baseball's union is presumed to have the best health care program – at least for more recently retired members – in the top sports leagues, offering lifetime coverage after only one game of Major League service.