No Sign Yet That the Tide is Turning in NBA Labor Negotiations

With the current collective bargaining agreement set to expire on June 30, the pressure is on to avoid a similar fate as the NFL: reaching the point of a lockout, potentially alienating fans, and engaging in intense, complicated litigation. The two sides are meeting and working on negotiations in Manhattan this week, and have decided that Tuesday is the critical next meeting. The owners say the players must bring something significant that day for a reasonable chance at progressing. “I really think that the time to have an optimistic or pessimistic view is at the close of the day on Tuesday,” NBA Commissioner David Stern said in an interview with Associated Press. “I think Tuesday's a very important day in these negotiations.” There has been some positive advancement in negotiation, however. The owners relented on their insistence of non-guaranteed contracts – something the players were adamantly opposed to. According to the Associated Press, players are not impressed with t...