The NBA and NBPA began meetings roughly two hours ago around 6PM EST. There’s no telling when they’ll break, or how things are going. They could leave the room in a huff any time, they could be in there overnight. Here’s what we do know.
- Glen Taylor, Jeanie Buss and Mo Evans joined the talks, but that still makes it a “small meeting.” Even if they were able to get a deal on the table, the owners, and players (plus, by extension, their agents) would have to approve even the framework before the i’s could be dotted.
- Yahoo! Sports reports that league executives doubt the players’ resolve. Which will inevitably anger the players and make them dig in deeper. Sometimes silence is golden, guys.
- As far as the 50/50 split goes, the New York Times reports that the league did not soften on 50/50, they’re trying to work around it. However, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t dropped as a precondition, according to CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger. So basically, the owners are willing to talk, but want it known they still want 50/50. Pretty basic negotiating tactic.
They could be in there talking to themselves and glaring. They could be eating in awkward silence. They could be locked in a death battle. They could be calling constituents to see if they have the votes to agree to a deal.
We’ll know eventually. Right now? We wait.