NBA Lockout Watch, Day 74: NBA, NBPA Reach Critical Stretch In CBA Talks

The NBA and NBPA are "bringing their full bargaining committees together Tuesday for a final push before meeting separately with their broader constituents -- the owners at the Board of Governors meeting in Dallas and the players in Las Vegas, both on Thursday," according to Ken Berger of CBSSPORTS.com. The next few days are "without a doubt the most important in the NBA since the hours ticked away to salvage a shortened season" during the '98-99 lockout. Lakers G and NBPA President Derek Fisher and NBA Deputy Commissioner & COO Adam Silver "will have the most important and difficult jobs," as they must "try to instill the spirit of compromise in the people they serve." Sources said that there has been "no formal movement on the two topics that dominated the three sessions over the past two weeks: the split of revenues and the cap system." Berger noted that "could change Tuesday if the owners make a formal proposal, which would be the first in the negotiations since the players added a sixth year to their proposal on June 30." Depending on "how such a proposal is received by the players' executive committee, the heaviest lifting of the lockout then would fall on Silver and Fisher, who are expected to be the two strongest voices in each side's job of selling its larger group on how to move forward from there." No one should underestimate NBA Commissioner David Stern's "role in the closing of this deal," but it has "been clear since the early stages of negotiating this deal -- both publicly and at the bargaining table -- that Silver's role has increased exponentially, and with Stern's blessing." Meanwhile, since Fisher assumed the role as NBPA President in '06, he "has made a point of immersing himself in the business side of the sport and the dynamics of negotiating" (CBSSPORTS.com, 9/9). A league source said that Fisher text messaged "numerous players last week indicating that some progress had been made and imploring them to be physically prepared just in case the season started on time" (SI.com, 9/11).

RULES & REGULATIONS: NBCSPORTS.com's Matt Moore noted Silver last week attended the U.S. Open, where he "hung out with" Wasserman Media Group Chair & CEO Casey Wasserman. The NBA has "a strict policy regarding any NBA representative from top level executives all the way down to an assistant team video coordinator being barred from speaking with or hanging out with a player or anyone associated with the players." Moore noted NBA player agent Happy Walters "wasn't exactly thrilled with the two chilling." Walters wrote on Twitter: "The NBA has implemented a rule that forbids all employees, NBA team employees (coaches, trainers, front office execs), from having any contact with a player, or anyone 'affiliated' with a player. Agents are at the top of this list. The rules must not apply 2 the NBA executive offices as Wasserman owns the largest Basketball agency." Moore: "Is it hypocritical for the NBA to make a rule regarding all its employees and then say its top people don't have to obey them? Maybe. But it's not like you're concerned Silver is giving away strategies or harming his side by talking to someone whose business is marginally affected by the lockout" (NBCSPORTS.com, 9/11).

WHERE DOES EACH OWNER STAND? ESPN.com's Henry Abbott noted ratifying a CBA requires the approval of 16 owners, but "nobody expects anything like a 16-14 vote, for a few reasons." The first is that the league "has been talking to owners throughout, and the people in the room know how much support they are likely to have for any position they might take." The second is that it "would be hard for Stern to govern a league with a CBA that nearly half his owners thought was rotten." So Stern is "exceedingly unlikely to present owners a proposal that has any chance of struggling to attract broad support." Abbott reported "about 17 owners came into the bargaining process feeling hawkish." Stern's "trick at the moment is to negotiate enough concessions from players as well as robust-enough revenue sharing from wealthy teams to bring some of those hawks into the fold." Abbott assesses "where the 30 owners stand at the moment" (ESPN.com, 9/9).