The sides met again in New York on Tuesday, with NBA commissioner David Stern saying the owners have demonstrated their good faith and a desire to avoid a lockout that could begin after the current CBA expires on June 30.
“We think that we’ve demonstrated that we’re here to make a deal,” Stern said.
The sides will meet again on Friday, when players will present a response to what they heard from the owners in the latest round of talks.
Union head Billy Hunter said players haven’t changed their philosophy relative to a hard salary cap, a sticking point that seems to be among the biggest hurdles to a new deal.
Reports indicate the league’s proposed “flex” salary cap — what NBA.com called a targeted team-payroll amount of $62 million that would be bracketed by a minimum and maximum amount — is unpopular with players, who still see it as a “hard” cap.
“Hard cap and guaranteed contracts have always sort of been a blood issue with our members,” Hunter said Tuesday. “We haven’t changed our philosophy relative to the hard cap.”
Still, Hunter believed owners had made some movement in the latest discussions.
“I don’t even want to talk lockout because there appears to be some interest, more interest than previously demonstrated on their part to want to get a deal,” he said.
The meetings took place two days before the NBA Draft, annually one of the league’s biggest dates. Owners are set to meet in Dallas next Tuesday.
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