The NBA lockout negotiations between the owners and the players on Thursday did not result in a new collective bargaining agreement being drawn up and signed. However, NBA Commissioner David Stern has not reverted back to the punitive offer of players receiving 47 percent of basketball-related income and a hard salary cap.
Instead, Stern and the owners offered a different deal to the players for them to accept before next week's negotiations begin (there will be no talks over Veterans Day or the weekend). While details of this deal have not been fully released, a new season could begin on Dec. 15 if it is accepted. There would be a 72-game regular season schedule and the playoffs and the finals would be pushed back by a week. Only 10 games would be missed.
There are reports of a solid number of players ready to decertify the union, but this more than likely is just another negotiating tactic to reach a resolution. The NBA lockout is far from over ... we think.
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