Official CBA/Labour Talks Discussion Thread II

[jrsmith]

Derrick Fisher in the live press conference - "We have not walked down the path of what may or may not happen in the future." That pretty much sums these morons (nbpa) up.

[Rhettmatic]

That's true for all of it but the escrow - I expect the owners will push to get a larger escrow percentage - it will be absolutely essential if the rumors of maintaining a 58 million hard cap are true. They will likely need to hold back 30% or more just to keep salaries in check. In each of the past two agreements, the spending exceeded the escrow at least once, and by a lot more when the BRI split was at 55% - now that it is at 50 or so, the escrow will be especially important.

Good point, the escrow is not nearly as minor as some of the other sticking points (like the stupid standoff over sign and trades for lux-tax teams).

[S.W.A.N]

Tomorrow is going to be exciting, deal finally gets done and this stupid thread along with the lockout inducing hardliners can suck it !!

(* and if talks break down again, everyone can suck it, tired of this @$%*)

[dacrusha]

One last stand to make the NBA a level playing field for all 30 owners across the league.

There will never be a level playing field for all 30 owners across the league. Just as there isn't a level talent pool among the 450 players.

There are some winners and some losers.

If you're a loser like MJ and his poorly managed franchise in a terrible basketball market, you take your own advice and get out of the game.

[Cyrus]

WojYahooNBA Adrian Wojnarowski
Everyone knows union takes 50-50. Comes to this: Will owners give them crumbs on MLE for taxpayers, sign-trade, escrow, etc., for deal?

I think that hits the nail on the head. And the system issues are so minor that it basically comes down to whether the owners want to let the union save the tiniest bit of face and just get a deal done, or if they'd rather drag this out for a while longer.

I actually hope the owners give in a little bit in BRI, and keep system issues in...stuff like mini or short contracts for tax offenders, no sign and Trades...

It's the only thing currently in the discussion, that has any semblance of having some parity implications, ie Dallas and Lakers can't use S&T option to get a deal done (No marion) or sign people with MLE (Atleast a full version).

In my view, the stuff about competitive parity was always just a PR charade. It's not like the NBA wants a Charlotte-Minnesota final either. So I think the owners would sooner drop those small system wrinkles than give up an extra dime of BRI, personally.

Oh I know it's all PR, but this does have some minor mechanics to make things interesting atleast...

[bboyskinnylegs]

If the players are willing to accept 50/50, and expect some sort of system concessions in return, would that mean that it's unlikely that the minimum age will be changed? Or is that something the player's don't care enough about to challenge anyways?

[Laowai]

Derrick Fisher in the live press conference - "We have not walked down the path of what may or may not happen in the future." That pretty much sums these morons (nbpa) up.

Derrick you are the VW Bug stalled on the railway tracks with the Midnight Express barreling down.

[LittleOzzy]

If the players are willing to accept 50/50, and expect some sort of system concessions in return, would that mean that it's unlikely that the minimum age will be changed? Or is that something the player's don't care enough about to challenge anyways?

I doubt the players already getting paid in the NBA care enough about the draft to want any changes.

[S.W.A.N]

One last stand to make the NBA a level playing field for all 30 owners across the league.

There will never be a level playing field for all 30 owners across the league. Just as there isn't a level talent pool among the 450 players.

There are some winners and some losers.

If you're a loser like MJ and his poorly managed franchise in a terrible basketball market, you take your own advice and get out of the game.

Actually MJ has done a pretty good job parlaying his market brand into increased ticket sales and corporate sponsorship. He is doing a much better job than previous owners.

His on the court team needs work but that can be said of most teams.

[knickerbocker2k2]

SpearsNBAYahoo Marc J. Spears
Unless NBA Labor Relations Committee says otherwise, Stern doesn't seem interested in tweeking current labor offer before 5 PM Wednesday.

ESPNSteinLine Marc Stein
Billy Hunter tells @daldridgeTNT on NBATV that, as relayed by Paul Pierce, "close to" 200 players in process of signing decert "cards"

I think Stern has played this all wrong. Instead of setting ultimatum and invoking players pride, he could have being diplomatic. Make the terms of the deal known public and tell them how this is the final offer. Say he wants to salvage most of the season and to do this we need agreement by date x. I think this would have driven wedge between those who want to settle at 50/50 and those who want to hold out.

But by playing the hard-line he essentially has given the hard-liners in the NBPA ammunition. My impression of all these media leaks of how certain owners are hard-liners and he doesn't have the votes is all propaganda. Just look at the stuff that gets leaked out of owners end. Heat owner has 2 or 3 word response to twitter and he gets fined 500K. But things like where the owners stand and other stuff gets leaked and Stern is fine with this? This is all part of the media war and honestly I think it will backfire.

[Aries]

One last stand to make the NBA a level playing field for all 30 owners across the league.

There will never be a level playing field for all 30 owners across the league. Just as there isn't a level talent pool among the 450 players.

There are some winners and some losers.

If you're a loser like MJ and his poorly managed franchise in a terrible basketball market, you take your own advice and get out of the game.

Exactly. I haven't seen a league on the face of this earth that had teams that were flawless and competed each and every year.

You will always have teams that will be rebuilding, stuck in mediocrity or straight up awful. The only small market teams that seem to lose money are the ones that are within those categories.

Then, you have teams like Toronto and Houston that are rebuilding/stuck in mediocrity but they make money and I think that pisses off owners like Peter Holt and Paul Allen that have winning teams but lose money.

Either way, It's stupid. I bet half of these owners haven't even tried to figure out and pin point why their investments isn't working or why they lose attendance.

[YogiStewart]

confused...
why are people acting like its a done deal that things will be signed by tomorrow?
union bigheads are still talking about decert.

[Ponchos]

confused...
why are people acting like its a done deal that things will be signed by tomorrow?
union bigheads are still talking about decert.

Of course they're talking about decertifying. What do they have to gain by dropping the rhetoric? Nothing.

[The Duke]

I'd rather:
Owners give up the 1% but keep all system changes

I'd expect:
Owners keep the 1%, but give up the system changes

[ATLTimekeeper]

Tomorrow is going to be exciting, deal finally gets done and this stupid thread along with the lockout inducing hardliners can suck it !!

(* and if talks break down again, everyone can suck it, tired of this @$%*)

I doubt it gets done. Reddick was saying that the players peg the realistic drop dead date for the season to be cancelled in January. They still haven't played the decert petition card, which will come after the talks break down tomorrow. Today was just a show to clean up the perception that the union has lost control. I think this will get settled in a month and a half, or 45 days from when the petition gets filed.

[Ponchos]

Tomorrow is going to be exciting, deal finally gets done and this stupid thread along with the lockout inducing hardliners can suck it !!

(* and if talks break down again, everyone can suck it, tired of this @$%*)

I doubt it gets done. Reddick was saying that the players peg the realistic drop dead date for the season to be cancelled in January. They still haven't played the decert petition card, which will come after the talks break down tomorrow. Today was just a show to clean up the perception that the union has lost control. I think this will get settled in a month and a half, or 45 days from when the petition gets filed.

The owners and players have never been closer to a deal as they are right now. The players have conceeded even more ground saying that they will go down to 50% BRI.

All they need is an olive branch in the form of some system issues and it's a done deal. Decertifying will not get them leverage to improve beyond 50-50, so I don't see how it's a realistic option now.

[ATLTimekeeper]

Tomorrow is going to be exciting, deal finally gets done and this stupid thread along with the lockout inducing hardliners can suck it !!

(* and if talks break down again, everyone can suck it, tired of this @$%*)

I doubt it gets done. Reddick was saying that the players peg the realistic drop dead date for the season to be cancelled in January. They still haven't played the decert petition card, which will come after the talks break down tomorrow. Today was just a show to clean up the perception that the union has lost control. I think this will get settled in a month and a half, or 45 days from when the petition gets filed.

The owners and players have never been closer to a deal as they are right now. The players have conceeded even more ground saying that they will go down to 50% BRI.

All they need is an olive branch in the form of some system issues and it's a done deal. Decertifying will not get them leverage to improve beyond 50-50, so I don't see how it's a realistic option now.

Yeah and I'm saying I doubt they get it tomorrow. I think it will come down to the 45th day, and then the deal will be basically what's on the table right now, maybe slightly better for the players. Decertification is bad for both parties, but if the players still feel like they have time on their hands they'll use it.

[whoknows]

It has been obvious from day one that players have no leverage here and should consider themselves lucky with 50%. Sweet deal for them considering that all the risk is taken by owners only (while players have guaranteed fat contracts).
Hope all this is done with it tomorrow so we can stop with this waiting period. Also if the players are stupid enough to not close it tomorrow, as time is passing they will be at the loosing end.

[S.W.A.N]

Logic dictates that a deal gets done tomorrow.

Owners dictated that when they gave deadline. Sign deal tomorrow or it gets worse, I believe them when they say this. The cost of losing games has to start adjusting deal at some point. Here is that point

Owners have the power and have won the majority of battles. All they have to do now is give the players a couple changes that favour them and a deal gets done.

Players will either accept that deal or decertify

If they decertify, season is over. Sure they have 45 days to negotiate but by this time the hardliners on both side will be running the show and all hope is gone...

I think deal gets done tomorrow.

[Laowai]

Ive been pess8imistic since day one and remain same I th8ink the players are bring macho and no logic.
Fed by the greed of agents.

LOST YEAR