NBPA executive director Billy Hunter and president Derek Fisher addressed the media today after 43 players, representing 29 of the NBA’s 30 teams, met in New York to discuss the stalled labor negotiations with the league. Their message: players will not accept the proposal that the owners currently have on the table, regardless of the Wednesday deadline imposed by commissioner David Stern, and they’re united in that stance.
One ominous nugget dropped by Hunter: the union has heard that the NBA will cancel games through Christmas if there’s no deal by 5:00 p.m. ET tomorrow.
Stern later refuted the claim, stating, “I don’t know what ground he’s talking about or under what ground he’s looking,” Stern said. “But we have no such plan. We need 30 days from the end of negotiations.”
The union is willing to keep negotiating up until tomorrow’s deadline, Hunter said, and he will reach out to Stern to try to set up another meeting. Hunter said he anticipates Stern will accept that opportunity.
Stern, however, was noncommittal when discussing the possibility of another meeting before the impending deadline. But he did say he would take Hunter’s call regarding future meetings.
“I always take Billy’s call, as a sign of respect,” Stern said.
But, should the owners not make significant movement on system issues toward the players’ side, Fisher said, “I don’t see a way we can get a deal done by Wednesday.”
The deal on the table is “not one we’re willing to accept,” Fisher said, and that’s a feeling shared among all players. “There isn’t any one player that has interest in accepting a bad deal,” he said.
There has been a feeling among some observers that many players would be willing to accept the owners’ latest proposal, which calls for basically a 50-50 split of basketball-related income, while implementing more restrictions for teams spending over the salary cap, measures to which the union is staunchly opposed. Some have urged the union to poll players to see if they were amenable to it, but Hunter said today such an exercise would not be “a worthwhile endeavor.” Owners have to go beyond tweaking the proposal, Hunter said—significant compromises are needed. He said sticking points include the sign-and-trade, mid-level exception, the tax cliff and escrow.