There was apparently no progress at all in Tuesday’s huge Collective Bargaining Agreement between David Stern, Adam Silver and NBA owners, and Billy Hunter, Derek Fisher and the players union. It seems there is no end in sight to the ongoing NBA lockout that threatens to erase 2011 NBA preseason and some of the regular season.
Ken Berger of CBS Sports reports the following via Twitter:
The biggest factor remains the calendar. Time is getting short, but we’re still about a month away from real games being canceled.
Billy Hunter: “We came with intent to negotiating … prepared to compromise. …”
Hunter: “Unfortunately, we’re a bit pessimistic.”
Hunter: “The owners are unwilling to move off of the position on which they’ve anchored themselves.”
Hunter says two sides remain at odds on two key isssues: economics and the system. No future meetings scheduled.
Hunter: “As of this moment there doesn’t appear to be any progress that we can predict.”
Hunter said lines of communication will remain and players will meet again if the need arises. As of now, not enough progress to warrant.
Derek Fisher: “It’s discouraging and unfortunate, but that’s the reality that we’re facing.”
Fisher: Players remain committed to process. “We’re not walking way from the table.”
Hunter: “We were prepared to make a significant move and it was conditioned on certain things.”
Hunter said players were prepared to move on economics, but owners insisted on major changes to system.
Hunter: Owners did not make a formal proposal and remain in the same place they were June 30 before lockout began.
Fisher: “We’re not marching towards a deal at this time or at any time we an predict.” That’s a killer quote.
Fisher: “We can’t come out of here thinking that training camps and preseason are going to start o time at this point.”
Hunter: “We’ve never had any discussions about decertification.” Waiting for NLRB reponse to players’ unfair labor practices charge.
Hunter bombshell: “We’ve advised (players) they may have to sit out half the season before we get a deal.”
Hunter says hard cap “highly untenable. … It could be characterized as a blood issue.”
Hunter and Fisher say economic concessions were contingent on system remaining the same or similar. Owners not willing to move on hard cap.
Hunter remains hopeful NLRB decision will move process forward. Not revisiting decision not to disclaim interest or decertify.
Hunter says there’s a “division of interest” within ownership. Owners spent three of 5 1-2 hours meeting amongst themselves.
Hunter: Hard cap would mean “at any whim,” players on non-guaranteed deals would be “out the door. And we’re saying, ‘No way.'”
Union VP Mo Evans on overseas deals: “As time goes by, guys are definitely going to defect.”
Matt Bonner of exec committee: “Given the calendar, we saw a window here. Unfortunately I don’t think the owners were willing.”
David Aldridge of Turner Sports reports via Twitter:
Billy Hunter: “pessimistic” that season will start on time, despite “robust” discussions today. No further talks scheduled.
Hunter said union was willing to move off if its current proposals, to no avail.
Derek Fisher: “it’s discouraging and it’s unfortunate, but that’s the reality of where we are right now.”
Hunter: owners were receptive 2 player proposal on economics, not willing to make concessions on their proposal on the system-a union must.
Fisher: “..obv b/c of the calendar, we can’t come out of this thinking that training camps and the season will start on time.”
Bottom line: union was willing to give up more money from its previous proposal ($100m/yr in concessions) to keep current system in place.
League previously called union proposal “modest” and claimed players wouldn’t be really giving back $100M annually.
Fisher: “this is a position we expected to find ourselves in two years ago.”
