NBA Commissioner David Stern mailed out a nine-page
document "detailing the owners' latest collective bargaining
proposal to the union's membership," according to Mike Wise
of the N.Y. TIMES. Wise writes that the letter, which was
sent via overnight mail on Wednesday, "seemed a clear
indication of how much the players and owners have become
entrenched in their positions." In "outlining the general
concessions" made by the NBA, Stern said that they were made
in response to "your union's forceful assertion of your
concerns." The proposal included: No hard salary cap; the
retention of the Bird Exception; no "immediate changes" in
free agency timing rules; a limit to the escrow tax that
would be collected from players' paychecks. NBPA Exec Dir
Billy Hunter "dismissed the letter as evidence of the
frustration on the league's behalf and added that nothing
the document contained was news to the players." Hunter:
"I'm not too concerned about it, other than it hints that I
haven't made a full disclosure to our membership. Our
players are fully aware of what their proposal is. It's
another effort to try to sweat our players." Wise notes
that "most of the proposals" in the letter "have been
released in some form over the past two months," but
"several changes" were disclosed for the first time to the
media in Stern's letter, including: a maximum contract
length of seven years, up from six, for Bird Exception
players; allowing a team to use the new "middle class
exception" to re-sign its own free agent, instead of
limiting it to another team's free agent; and an increase in
the maximum allowable raise, from 10% on Bird deals and 5%
on others, to 12.5% and 7.5%, respectively. No new talks
are scheduled, but Hunter downplayed the "personal rift"
between he and Stern: "He called to say hello and see how I
was doing. He wanted to dispel the notion that he doesn't
call me. He said he'd call again to wish me a Merry
Christmas. I said I'd do the same and wish him a Happy
Hanukkah. We're cordial and pleasant with one another.
That's not the issue. The issue is, when does he want to
make a deal?" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/18). In DC, Mark Asher
reports that the two sides "remain 4 1/2 percentage points
apart" in BRI (WASH. POST, 12/18). On L.I., Greg Logan
writes that the maximum salary scale detailed in the letter
"was deceiving because few players would sign seven-year
deals." Logan: "Neither was it spelled out how free agency
would be restricted. One area that appears ripe for
negotiation involves an annual average salary exception"
(NEWSDAY, 12/18). In N.Y., Mitch Lawrence notes that the
union "soundly rejected" Stern's letter (DAILY NEWS, 12/18).
RETURN TO SENDER? Several players and agents commented
on Stern's letter. NBPA Secretary Jim McIlvaine: "It's
basically what we've been telling the players. I don't
think anyone who reads it will be surprised" (USA TODAY,
12/18). Free agent C Chris Dudley: "From what I can see,
it's nothing new, other than the timing issue. And they
were kind of ambiguous about that, I thought. That's the
part that is confusing" (Newark STAR-LEDGER, 12/18). From
Fox Sports News, Pistons G Malik Sealy: "That's crap. You
know, we have a team that we're confident in getting
negotiating done for us. ... [Stern is] not going to divide
us and if that's what he's looking to do, that's not gong to
happen" ("Fox Sports News," 12/17). Agent Marc Fleisher: "I
think it's a bunch of crap. It's written to make it appear
that it's a great deal for the players. It's not. ... David
Stern is trying to shame the union into putting his proposal
up for a vote, but Billy Hunter is under no obligation."
Agent Mark Bartelstein: "You can sell a deal and make it
look wonderful if you don't get into the details of how it
actually works. The players are all going to call me and
ask me to decipher everything that's going on" (NEWSDAY,
12/18). Rockets F Charles Barkley: "I didn't get the
opportunity to read it, but I did get it in the mail today.
I was on the golf course and I'm looking forward to going to
Atlantic City tomorrow and sitting down with all the players
("Fox Sports News," 12/18). Magic Player Rep Danny Schayes:
"I see it as another attempt to divide the players. It
seems like they're waving it in the players' faces, 'Look
how hard we're trying. Contact your union representative.'
They seem to think the players are not informed, and they
certainly are informed." Joe Kleine noted that the letter
"fails to address" the "percentage of salaries [that] may be
placed in escrow," or "what tax would be imposed upon teams
that exceed the percentage." Kleine: "Those are big issues.
The amount of the tax and how it will be paid go a long way
in determining how hard of a cap it is. Those are pretty
huge links in the chain" (AZ REPUBLIC, 12/18). Spurs G
Avery Johnson: "The main thing about this is that they don't
understand that we have all the facts, all the information
about their proposals. ... It's unfortunate" (EXPRESS-NEWS,
12/18). Free agent Eddie Johnson: "Everything he (Stern)
does, he does with a plan. ... It doesn't surprise me one
bit that this happened after we missed another paycheck"
(S.F. CHRONICLE, 12/18). 76ers G Eric Snow: "What else can
it be but to put pressure on the players? He could have
sent this a long time ago" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 12/18).
LOCKOUT FALLOUT: Bucks rookie Robert Traylor, who left
the Univ. of MI early for the NBA: "If I had known the
lockout was going to last this long, I think I would have
stayed in school" (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 12/18)....BLOOMBERG's
Scott Soshnick reports that some MLB owners "are telling
[NBA owners] to cancel their season if that's what it takes
to control spending." Padres Owner John Moores: "I hope
that the NBA owners are serious in what they're doing and
hang on. I hope to God that they are." NBPA Exec Dir Billy
Hunter, comparing the NBA to MLB, and noting that D'Backs
MGP/Suns Owner Jerry Colangelo inked three MLB free agents
to $108M in deals this offseason: "There seems to be a
double standard. When Jerry wears his NBA hat, he needs
cost certainty and all kinds of restraints. When he wears
his baseball hat, he goes out on an unprecedented spending
spree" (BLOOMBERG NEWS, 12/17)....Heat G Tim Hardaway, on
comments made by his teammate, Alonzo Mourning, that race is
a factor in the lockout: "The NBA is a great way for black
athletes, and other athletes, to make a living. I'm just
appalled at those comments. I don't know why he'd say that"
(PALM BEACH POST, 12/17)....In order to avoid layoffs, the
Magic "will be asking front-office employees to take salary
cuts" from 2-10% beginning February 1 "if the NBA cancels
the entire season" (ORLANDO SENTINEL, 12/18)....ESPN's Al
Bernstein reported that boxing promoter Bob Arum offered
Lakers C Shaquille O'Neal $2M to fight Butterbean, the "king
of the four rounders" ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 12/17).
