As June 30 CBA Expiration Approaches, NBA and Players Still Far Apart

As the 2011 NBA Finals series between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat has unfolded, the League's administrators and player-representation are meeting to make progress on labor negotiations and to discuss the collective-bargaining agreement which expires June 30th. Caught beneath the headlines of close games, superstars and increasing television ratings is the gloomy reality that the two sides are still not close on any major issue regarding CBA negotiations. Commissioner David Stern recently said to the Los Angeles Times that the sides are “very far apart” and not “anyplace close to a deal.” The main points of contention throughout the negotiation process have been the League's insistence of an entirely redesigned financial and operating system including: a hard cap, elimination of guaranteed contracts, a 40 percent rollback on players' salaries, and shortened contract length. Such a dramatic change has not been accepted lightly by player-representation since...