NBA and NBAPA officials have begun meeting in N.Y. for the last bargaining session set before the current CBA expires at the end of the day today. The small group meeting includes NBA Commissioner David Stern, NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, Spurs Owner and Labor Relations Committee Chair Peter Holt and Knicks Owner James Dolan. The union's contingent includes NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter, union counsel Jeff Kessler, NBPA President Derek Fisher, Spurs F Matt Bonner and Wizards F Maurice Evans (John Lombardo, SportsBusiness Journal). In N.Y., Mitch Lawrence reports there seems to be "little chance that the owners decide to extend" the CBA beyond its expiration. No one involved in the negotiations "expects any more progress than has already been made, and that's been nothing more than a few baby steps." However, the players are "not expected to go the route of their NFL brethren and decertify, while filing an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA." An NBPA source said that there "has been little support for such a move, which is viewed as a nuclear option." Lawrence notes as "little as they've accomplished over the last year and a half at the bargaining table, the owners and players seem averse to taking their dispute to the federal courts." Neither side "wants to go down a road that would probably lead to missed games for the 2011-12 season" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 6/30). In Boston, Shira Springer in a front-page piece reports "hundreds of millions of dollars still separate proposals from the owners and players, almost certainly too large a divide to bridge in negotiations scheduled for today." Neither side is "in a concession-making mood, especially the players, who declined to counter the owners’ latest proposal and waited until today to return to the bargaining table." With training camp still "three months away, negotiations lack a sense of urgency" (BOSTON GLOBE, 6/30).
DEVIL IN THE DETAILS: On Long Island, Alan Hahn notes the "main sticking point continues to be a battle of wills over the salary-cap system that will go forward." The league has been "insisting on a hard cap system and recently presented one similar to what is currently used by the NHL with a midrange of $62 million and a promise that the players would get at least $2 billion in salary and benefits in each year of the 10-year agreement." The union "has been opposed to a hard cap system, plus the league is also asking the players to take a dramatic reduction in revenues" (NEWSDAY, 6/30). YAHOO SPORTS' Adrian Wojnarowski reports NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter yesterday in an e-mail warned players that the league's proposal of a "hard-flex" salary cap "would have grave consequences for the future earnings and security of rank-and-file union members." Hunter said the owners' plan "would decimate the middle class, with teams using the bulk of their hard cap room on star players." He added, "The owners have not backed off of a hard cap system, although they’ve added a middle tier and now refer to it as a ‘flex cap.’ Don’t be fooled by these semantics -- the ceiling of the system is still an absolute barrier, so it produces the same harsh effects of a hard cap" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/29). CSNBayArea.com's Matt Steinmetz said, "They’re talking hard salary cap, and if they are talking hard salary cap, chances are it's going to go pretty long. That is going to be a tough sell with the players. So everybody seems to be bracing for something pretty lengthy.” He added, “The hard cap is the big issue in the NBA. The players don't want it under any circumstances, and that's what the owners are going to try to do come hell or high water” ("Chronicle Live," Comcast SportsNet Bay Area," 6/29). Owners also want a "reduction in the players' guarantee" of 57% of basketball revenues. Players said that their latest proposal "would have taken them down to 54.3 but say the league's offer would have them down to around 40 percent" (AP, 6/29).
ENDLESS SUMMER: In L.A., Mark Heisler notes NBA owners will not "start losing gate receipts and players their pay" until late October, when the regular season traditionally begins. With one month "needed to get ready for a season, the deadline for starting on time is Oct. 1." Heisler: "I wouldn't expect any meaningful talks before mid-August at the earliest" (L.A. TIMES, 6/30). Wizards F and NBPA VP Maurice Evans said, "We’re going to continue to negotiate until we reach an impasse. We’re prepared to go as long as we need to go into the summer to get a deal" (WASHINGTONPOST.com, 6/30). SportsCorp President Marc Ganis said, "We may not see movement until it gets close to the end of the year. ... This one is likely to be a long lockout. It could be half a season; it potentially could be a whole season" (WASHINGTON POST, 6/30). USA TODAY's Jeff Zillgitt notes there is "considerable fear that a lockout will drag into autumn and result in the NBA's first loss of regular-season games" since the '98-99 season. A "protracted lockout with the loss of games could halt the momentum gained in the 2010-11 season" (USA TODAY, 6/30).
ALL GOOD THINGS COME TO AN END: In Miami, Israel Gutierrez writes, "By Friday, in all likelihood, we will have another lockout on our hands. ... We'll be following up one of the most memorable and successful NBA seasons with another wage war that would threaten next season, or at the very least threaten to delay interest in a sport that had the world captivated just a few weeks earlier" (MIAMI HERALD, 6/30). ESPN NBA analyst Tim Legler said, "There could be a lot of animosity from fans for both sides. Given this economy, what people have had to endure, this could be very difficult to stomach for the average person. It might be hard to get some of these people back" (ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS, 6/30). Heat C Erick Dampier said, "We definitely don't want to make the fans mad, because they'll go on strike when it starts back by not buying tickets. But it's got to be a win-win situation for everyone -- for the players and for the owners" (FT. WORTH STAR-TELEGRAM, 6/30). In West Palm Beach, Ethan Skolnick writes while there is "truth to claims that some markets are having trouble selling seats ... it is disingenuous" for NBA Commissioner David Stern and the owners "to claim that it's tougher now for smaller markets to compete on the court" (PALM BEACH POST, 6/30).
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| Will Hunter take a $1 salary during NBA lockout? |
PUTTING BILLY ON THE SPOT: YAHOO SPORTS' Wojnarowski reported Grizzlies F Shane Battier during an NBPA meeting last week asked Hunter if he would "take $1 in salary" for the length of the lockout, as NFLPA Exec Dir DeMaurice Smith has vowed to do. Players indicated that the "mere suggestion seemed to offend Hunter." After he "told Battier he hadn’t given it much thought, members of the union’s executive board came to Hunter’s defense." Hunter "never did give Battier a firm answer, nor would he answer the question" when asked again yesterday. Wojnarowski wrote, "This is still a sore spot for some agents and players, but several union board members felt Battier was grandstanding with his question. Nevertheless, there are those in the rank-and-file who think Hunter and his executive board members have a habit of getting too snippy, too defensive with dissenting voices. If a lockout endures, these will be questions that Hunter has to answer within his union. Eventually, the players will stop getting checks in November, and if Hunter’s still getting paid … well, Battier’s voice won’t be alone" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 6/29).
