NBPA Exec Dir Simone Gourdine met with several NBA players
on Friday to update negotiations on a new CBA. Gourdine
"outlined the discrepancies" between the two sides in a two-page
memo: 1) The sharing of defined gross income. Gourdine proposed
a 50/50 split of all revenue, including international sales. The
league defines gross revenue as 90% of annual gross; 2) The NBA
wants to "eliminate" rules allowing teams to re-sign their own
free agents without a penalty against the cap, instead opting for
a raise equal to the "rolling average" of 8%. 3) The players
want the current system to remain with a cap for rookies' first
three seasons, after which players get unrestricted free agency
(Alex Marvez, MIAMI HERALD, 4/22). The "upshot" to the
resignation of Charles Grantham as NBPA Exec Dir "should be a
quicker settlement" to labor talks, writes Frank Lawlor in
Philadelphia. Blazers President Bob Whitsitt: "I'm sure David
Stern is happy about this. Simon is a good guy who cares about
what happens in the NBA. This isn't a Donald Fehr situation"
(PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER, 4/23). NBPA VP Charles Smith, on
Grantham: "Charlie has done a great job over the years. But he
and his predecessor (Larry Fleisher) sort of ran things with an
iron first and no checks and balances" (Ailene Voisin, ATLANTA
CONSTITUTION, 4/23).
