According to various reports, the NBA refuses to meet with the union prior to league commissioner David Stern's Monday deadline to preserve an 82-game regular-season schedule unless it agrees to a 50-50 split of basketball-related income.
We told the union today that we were willing to meet as early as Sunday, NBA spokesman Tim Frank told reporters. We also advised them that we were unwilling to move above the 50-50 split of revenues that was discussed between the parties on Tuesday but that we wanted to meet with them to discuss the many remaining open issues. The union declined.
Stern revealed Tuesday that the league informally proposed an equal division of BRI, figures that have been reportedly disputed by the players' association. Union executive director Billy Hunter has expressed that the players wouldn't budge from a 53-percent share, down from the 57 percent they receive in the expired collective-bargaining agreement.
Union sources reportedly told multiple media outlets that the proposal wasn't a true equal division of BRI, as deductions of league losses would first be taken from the players. Reports indicate there will be a union meeting Saturday in Miami, the site of an exhibition game hosted by Heat trio LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh that evening.
Aggrey Sam is CSNChicago.com's Bulls Insider. Follow him @CSNBullsInsider on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bulls information and his take on the team, the NBA and much more.