The NBPA on Sunday "pushed back strongly" against a report that it was "down to four finalists for the Executive Director job, which opened up after the union fired Billy Hunter in February," according to sources cited by David Aldridge of NBA.com. A union source said, "That couldn't be further from the truth. There's been no process where there have been any candidates vetted, much less those four." Nets G and NBPA VP Jerry Stackhouse said, "The process is moving. But we haven't narrowed anything down to any four candidates. These are some of the names that are popping up out there more than others, and we recognize that. But the process of getting a search firm hasn't even been completed yet." More union members want to "grow its influence beyond just being the collective bargaining unit for the players." New union officials such as Warriors F Andre Iguodala have said that it is "time to work more with the league to grow the financial pie." Stackhouse said that any candidate for the position "will have to articulate his or her vision for expanding the union's capacities" (NBA.com, 7/29).
