Peachtree Hoops: NBA Lockout: Adam Silver And Derek Fisher Taking Lead Roles In Negotiations

[Hawksquawk]

Howard Beck of the New York Times drops a small footnote to the ongoing labor negotiations. Don't expect a new proposal from either side just because the full negotiating committees are joining in on the discussions. Beck reports that both sides hope to begin a collaborative effort to construct a new plan together. 

Neither side is expected to deliver a complete new proposal. The hope - at least among the optimists on either side - is that last week's brainstorming sessions will become the basis for a collaborative new effort. They are actively seeking a compromise.

Now I am not going to pretend to know if this is common practice but after the long stalemate we have had this summer it does seem to bring a new angle to the negotiations. 

David Stern's voice has always rang the loudest when it came to CBA negotiations and the NBA. Billy Hunter follows along in the shadow although it is the players who have seemed to be the winners of the most recent CBA details. Two new voices are stepping to the forefront in these negotiations. Writes Ken Berger, Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver and Union President Derek Fisher have taken lead roles in the negotiations and have the unenviable task of selling their individual groups on compromise. 

In other words, both sides will still have to make some pretty substantial concessions to get this deal done even with all of the optimism and play nice talk of the last two weeks. As Berger describes, that is going to take quite a sell job by Silver and Fisher to get it done. 

As daunting as the task is, the fact that they are trying to build a deal collaboratively can't be overlooked. Howard Beck goes on to say that both sides have made a vast improvement since August and are light-years ahead of where they were during the 1998 lockout. In the article he gives credit to none other than Adam Silver and Derek Fisher for the advancement of the talks. 

After today's bargaining session, SB Nation's Tom Ziller reports that both sides will retreat to different locations to discuss things internally. The Union will be meeting in Las Vegas while the owners will hold a meeting in Dallas. Ziller offers up the money shot that will keep us all hanging in the balance over the next few days. 

It's unclear whether there will be reason to reconvene quickly to hammer out details of a new deal, or whether this is all a mirage.

Lets hope it all simply isn't a mirage. 

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