NBPA Exec Dir Billy Hunter refuted a FoxSports.com report that stated he confronted NBPA President and Lakers G Derek Fisher over the league’s offer of a 50/50 split of BRI. In an interview with SportsBusiness Journal yesterday, Hunter said, “My relationship with Derek is very good. There was no confrontation." FoxSports.com’s Jason Whitlock wrote about questions regarding the relationship between Commissioner David Stern and Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver, and when asked if Fisher met with the two league leaders, Hunter said, "I have no idea. If he met with them without me knowing, how would I know?" He also said he was not aware of any confrontation between Fisher and any member of the NBPA exec board. But the FoxSports.com report caused consternation among players and agents, including a group of seven powerful agents who collectively represent more than 30% of NBA players. Sources said the group of agents may discuss the matter on a conference call this week. "We are very concerned with this troubling report, which if true, means the player president may not be acting in the best interest of players who elected him as their representative," said a source close to the group of power agents. Hunter: "There are a lot of people trying to divide the union. People are disseminating and creating all kinds of rumors" (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal). FOXSPORTS.com's Whitlock cited a source as saying that the belief that Fisher "has been co-opted” by Stern “and promised” Stern he could “deliver the union at 50-50,” caused Hunter and “at least one member of the union's executive committee to confront Fisher on Friday morning and make him reassess his 50-50 push." The source said that Hunter and the exec committee member "convinced Fisher to stand firm at 52-48 after they questioned the Lakers point guard about his relationship" with Stern and Silver. Whitlock wrote, "Fisher and Hunter haven't been on the same page throughout this lockout" (FOXSPORTS.com, 10/29).
BREAKING IT DOWN: The N.Y. TIMES' Beck wrote a new CBA, "in practical terms, is about 95 percent complete." The NBA and the players union have "agreed on contract lengths and luxury-tax rates, trade rules and cap exceptions, and a host of oddly named provisions offering 'amnesty' and 'stretch payments.'" All of "these pieces -- some favoring the players, most of them favoring the owners -- have fallen into place in recent weeks, even as talks collapsed and restarted and collapsed again." Beck noted the "final deal will, by any objective measure heavily favor the owners when compared with the last two CBAs." If the union "compromises further, it will agitate the high-powered agents, who could rally against ratification." If the league "compromises further, it risks a revolt from owners." Neither side "believes it can, or should, make another move" (N.Y. TIMES, 10/30). SI.com's Sam Amick listed the issues on the table and noted the two sides have "resolved" issues regarding player contract length and the league's amnesty clause. Issues that are "mostly resolved" include the luxury tax, the mid-level salary cap exception, the escrow tax and the "stretch" exception. Still "unresolved" are issues including BRI split, annual pay increases, early termination options for player contracts, sign-and-trades and the length of a new CBA (SI.com, 10/30). CBSSPORTS.com's Ken Berger wrote “more than enough of the deal has been negotiated already so that the next meeting really only requires two people: Stern and Hunter. But those two people must have the authority to close the deal. On Friday, neither had it." There is "no rational way to explain this behavior," and the "only answer is that neither Stern nor Hunter had the authority to negotiate beyond his established position." Berger wrote Stern is "no longer driving for the league, and Hunter has been booted from the driver's seat by agents who -- justifiably or not -- believe the players already have given up too much in this negotiation and shouldn't give up another dime" (CBSSPORTS.com, 10/28). In N.Y., Mike Lupica wrote Fisher "has been doing more negotiating with the other side than Billy Hunter, whose job it is to negotiate with the other side." Lupica: "We constantly hear that the players are the problem here, the players are the ones holding up a deal, all because Hunter 'closed his book.' ... If Hunter did that, it is one of the few really inspired things he has done lately, perhaps realizing how bad the deal on the table really was before it was too late." A league source said Saturday, "The changes that are being made (to the league’s CBA) will absolutely cripple the players’ ability to get fair deals." Lupica wrote there was a "feeling in the room that Fisher and Hunter, who have been giving ground and giving away leverage for months, starting with the moment that de-certification of the association came off the table, were about to give in to just about everything the owners want" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 10/30).
PUT IT TO A VOTE: Hunter said the union leaders "made it clear we could not sell a 50-50 deal to our membership." NEWSDAY's Hahn wrote, "To which we say: Why not have a secret-ballot vote, just to be completely sure?" An NBA player agent said, "I'm afraid of what the answer would be." Hahn noted even agents "who have tried to influence the proceedings with warnings to hold the line at 53 percent -- a 4-percent concession from the previous CBA -- have started to find their messages aren't reaching the lower 90 percent salary-wise" (NEWSDAY, 10/29). TRUE HOOP's Henry Abbott wrote, "I have heard from a player or two recently. Those involved in the talks are fired up in keeping with the union's position. But the others who have made their opinions known to me ... they just want to play. They care to play more than they care to win on the remaining issues. I wonder what a poll would find." Abbott asked, "If a majority of the players were, in fact, ready to make concessions in the name of playing, how would Hunter and the union know?" (ESPN.com, 10/28). In Sacramento, Ailene Voisin wrote the union should "poll the players about a possible 50-50 split because it seems to make so much sense." In addition, there is "a strong and growing suspicion that a significant percentage of players already believe that it's time to make a deal" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 10/30).
ONE-WAY STREET: In Boston, Steve Bulpett wrote the "way the NBA is parading the conquered employees through the streets is getting more than a little unseemly." The league "certainly has the right to go for everything it can to ensure its teams are bailed out from their own bad decisions, but no one should believe this negotiation is anything but a one-way street." The players "are the only ones surrendering funds here" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/30). In Phoenix, Dan Bickley wrote throughout this "contentious, four-month lockout, there have been the unmistakable sounds of rebellion." Observers "have been astounded by the quick-trigger anger of some players, a condition exacerbated by social-media platforms." Bickley wrote, "Stern is fighting a powerful surge and mind-set among players, and so far, his classic bullying tactics aren't working. If anything, they are having the opposite effect." There is a "growing fear that these players are bold enough to reject the owners on pride and principle" (ARIZONA REPUBLIC, 10/30). The BOSTON HERALD's Bulpett cites sources on both sides of the labor dispute as saying that "it is time, as the lockout hits Day 123, to bend to the wishes of the other and reach an agreement." Two players said that they "understood the league is, in the words of one, 'putting the screws to us ... taking things back without giving up anything.'" But both players "shared the feeling the union might essentially be cutting off its nose to spite its face the longer it holds its line." Team sources said that they "believe the league’s labor leaders should adopt a more conciliatory tone and get a deal done." One source said, “This is getting a little ridiculous. The longer this drags out, I think we’re going to have to deal with some serious resentment when this thing does end" (BOSTON HERALD, 10/31).
