Cavaliers F LeBron James on Thursday said that the NBPA has "prioritized getting aid for retired players" in the next collective bargaining agreement, according to Krawczynski & Reynolds of the AP. Sources said that the NBA and the union have "agreed that the next CBA will include new league-funded programs to help retired players with education and medical expenses." In exchange for those programs, and pending full approval from both sides, the "split of basketball-related income would remain the same 50-50 deal as it is in the current agreement." James: "We've all built this league together. No matter how big of a guy you were or if you were the 15th guy on the bench, we all built this league into what it is today. But it's not just my idea. I'm not taking any credit for that. But it's all part of the process." Krawczynski & Reynolds noted the CBA process will "resume next week, when the league and the union meet" ahead of the NBA BOG meeting in N.Y. Knicks F Carmelo Anthony "expressed optimism that a deal will get done before Dec. 15." He said that the "influx of money" from the league's most recent TV deal "has been key for the players." Anthony: "We're not going in there saying we want more money. We don't want to mess that up. We see how the league is growing, we see the growth of the league. We want to be a part of that. There's certain things within the CBA that we would like to see as players of the union. So hopefully we can make something happen." Sources said that new elements in the CBA could "include an increase in the rookie salary scale to fall more in line with the surging salary cap." The sources added that "two-way contracts that would pay players less when they are in the D-League and more when they are with their NBA teams -- a structure that has worked well in hockey for some time -- will be a part of the deal" (AP, 10/13).
