There will be a lockout come July 1. Wish I had any reason at all to tell you otherwise, there just is no cause. Talks for a new Collective Bargaining Agreement are at a standstill right now.
The question remains: How bad a lockout? As in, lockout in July and August but solved in time for training camps to open on schedule and no games to be missed? Or, maybe something far worse?
NBA Players Union Executive Director Billy Hunter is telling players to prepare for the worst-case scenario, according to a report at Beyond the Beat.According to one source within the Sacramento Kings organization, Hunter met with the team two weeks ago and warned the players, “that the lockout would last all of next season”, if an agreement isn’t reached by June 30.
A number of Kings’ players confirmed Hunter did speak directly to the team, but would not expand on his year-long lockout stance.
“It could take a year. It could take a day. We really don’t know, but I know it’s a serious issue and I can see them (players’ association) pushing a lockout,” Carl Landry told Beyond the Beat.
NBA players are not exactly great at money management. And by that we mean they make a 17-year-old with a new credit card look level headed. Hunter knows if his players start going broke he will lose leverage for any harder line in the negotiations. So it is wise of him to scare his charges, to frighten them into putting some money away in the event of a really serious lockout. To that end, tell them they won’t get paid for a year.
Honestly, every time I write a lockout related story, I feel more pessimistic.
