Peachtree Hoops: NBA Lockout: Catching Up With The Latest Lockout News

[Hawksquawk]

As I began my look around the internet for NBA Lockout news and or opinions this morning, I was greeted by this optimistic tweet from ESPN NBA analyst Chris Broussard. 

I'm starting to think NBA reg season COULD (no guarantee) start on time & only preseason games will be missed...still hard to tell though

When we last discussed the lockout, it was reported that the Player's Association had made some significant concessions regarding the split of revenue which if the report is accurate will go down from 57 percent all the way to the 52-53 percent range. Talks ended when the owners failed to budge on discussions surrounding a hard salary cap. 

Each side retreated to hold internal meetings on Thursday and there was some dialogue that emerged from those meetings with each group fighting an internal battle. On the Union side there is growing disdain for the Union leadership and has some NBA power agents talking about seeking decertification. The merits of such a move don't seem at all positive if you are like me and hoping that a resolution can be made that will deliver me NBA games on time this season.

The owners made news when it was reported that a small group was intent on a hard salary cap and were unwilling to negotiate. The reported hardliners were Phoenix owner Robert Sarver and Cleveland owner Dan Gilbert.

However, according to SB Nation's Tom Ziller, NBA commissioner David Stern has earned clearance to negotiate every point of a new deal including a hard salary cap although he may still have some selling to do before a final deal can be struck.  

But here's where we're saved: Stern is a (far) more effective leader than Boehner, and in the end he won't let his league be held hostage by lily-livered billionaire bankers, not with the ratings soaring and the next class of superstars developing. If Stern likes what he hears from the union, and he can convince the owners less greedy than Sarver and Gilbert to sign on, he can get a deal done before games are missed.

 

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