Don’t expect immediate basketball ramifications of the gun charges brought against Knicks point guard Raymond Felton, league and union officials said Tuesday.
The Knicks would encounter resistance if they attempted to censure Felton, according to acting union director Ron Klempner.
“We have reached out to Raymond to make sure all his rights are being protected,” Klempner told The Post. “Charges are charges. Any discipline made based on his arrest would be inappropriate and challenged aggressively. Let the process run its course.”
Article 6, Section 115 of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement states that teams should not impose discipline on a player solely on the basis that the player has been arrested.
An exception is possible if conduct is related to team rules that were broken, though that does not appear to be the case.
There is also a section of the CBA specifically addressing firearms in the wake of the Gilbert Arenas incident in the Wizards locker room, which states players would be disciplined for bringing firearms to a facility or NBA-related business. The charges in the Felton case do not indicate anything of that nature.
The league, for its part, gave no indication of taking a rapid stance on Felton’s conduct.
“We’re monitoring the situation,” NBA spokesman Tim Frank said.
The Knicks declined to comment on the situation.