By Chris Sheridan
NEW YORK — Negotiations to end the NBA lockout are resuming today in Manhattan with all the heavy hitters in attendance, so there will be some news before the end of the day. Stay tuned on that front.
In the meantime, chew on these two articles:
In the Oregonian, columnist John Canzano reports an amnesty provision could be part of the new labor agreement, and it would provide some serious cap flexibility leaguewide:
“Two NBA sources told me Tuesday that they believe there’s consensus among owners on a few important lockout issues. One of those issues being an amnesty clause that would give NBA teams the ability to release one player, pay his salary, take no luxury tax liability, and also, not have that player count against the season salary cap. This is different than the last round of amnesty, which didn’t give the cap relief. And if true, it would likely allow Portland to strongly consider releasing three-time All-Star Brandon Roy, creating an additional $15 million in cap relief next season. Which is only to say, the Blazers need a general manager in the chair now, as this develops, if they’re going to fully maximize the advantages of making such a powerful play.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports raises the issue of whether Billy Hunter might make so many concessions, the league’s most powerful agents would encourage their clients to vote against ratification.
“Everyone knows this is Hunter’s final stand as executive director of the Players Association, and he ultimately won’t have to live with the consequences of the agreement. He’ll take his millions of dollars, and go, and that leaves some agents and players suspicious of his willingness to fight NBA commissioner David Stern and the hard-line owners to a determined, defiant end. “There’s a lot of money and control at stake here,” one NBA front-office executive said. “I’ve never seen people who are in negotiations with each other give up those two things easily. There will be a nasty fight at some point among the owners, the players and the agents. At some point, two of those three entities will square off and go to war. It’s just a matter of which two entities it will be.”
With the NBA season likely over, what deep changes need to be made to the NBA when the season restarts?
“Take away love and our earth is a tomb.” ~ Robert Browning
I hope you never stop! This is one of the best blogs I have ever read. You have got some mad skill here, man. I just hope that you do not lose your style because youre definitely one of the coolest bloggers out there. Please keep it up because the internet needs someone like you spreading the word.
Where you at Chris? There is breaking news we need your take on it. Still think the season will be saved after the leaked story that the NBA will cancel training camp and the opening preaseason games today?
Wojo is way too far to the “Left” for me to take any of his opinions on labor negotiations seriously.
I thought the amnesty clause was something the owners would want for a while. Would the players still balk if they get all their money and still can be FAs and still get a new deal? As a Bulls fan, I wonder who would get cut? Boozer is obvious but Deng is the team’s highest paid guy and now Noah has a double figure a year contract.
Pay off salary for that year? Or whats remaining through the length of the contract? I would assume its just the one yr. I assume its the latter. That would mean its a lot like the NFL contracts in some ways except that theyre salary are fully guarenteed rather than just the signing bonus and Im assuming this amnesty would be limited to just one player a yr.
I would say Booz due to age and length of contract. They save a lot more in the long run and Deng is at least a tradeable piece.
Really? You think Reinsdorf is going to eat 70 million dollars on Boozer’s contract for nothing? Just because it is off the cap doesn’t mean the players won’t be paid. Boozer and Deng would get every penny but be honest… none of those 3 players are going anywhere. They are all valuable cogs in the Bulls Eastern Conference Title hopes. And Boozer and Noah have yet to establish chemistry as of yet. And anyone that knows of Boozer’s Utah days, knows he can make people around him better with his passing.