We tried to tell you earlier that there are no meaningful negotiations going on between the owners and players, that everyone is playing a game of lockout chicken, waiting for the deadline to put pressure on the talks.
Here is another sign just how little is going on — union president Derek Fisher is heading to the Philippines for some exhibition games, reports Mark Medina at the Los Angeles Times.Fisher will join the likes of Kobe Bryant, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, Derrick Williams, Tyreke Evans and JaVale McGee representing the MVP Sports Foundation, according to a person who was familiar with the roster but wasn’t authorized to speak about it publicly.
The team is expected to play in a pair of exhibition games July 23 and 24 against the Philippine Basketball Assn.'s All-Star team and the Smart Gilas national team at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.
Not sure exactly what team with CP3 and Rose is going to do with Fisher at the point, but there you go. He’ll be there.
Fisher also has been linked to a still-forming barnstorming tour of China expected to happen in the late summer or fall. When he might actually be needed at the bargaining table.
Right now he’s not because there are no high-level talks going on (and really no midlevel or even low-level talks either).