NBA Lockout: Stern Presents Final Deal, Players Still Threaten to Dismantle Union
David Stern, the NBA commissioner, put a deal on the table that could save a 72 game regular season starting Dec. 15, but the player’s union is already expressing discontent with the deal.
If players do not agree to the current deal on the table, Stern implied he would end negotiations and the season would be lost.
"There comes a time when you have to be through negotiating and we are," said Stern. "I am optimistic owners will approve (the deal) if the players approve it and I await their response. We've done our best."
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Although NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter did not seem thrilled with the deal, he agreed to present it to players.
"It's not the greatest proposal in the world," Hunter said. "But I have an obligation to at least present it to our membership. So that's what we're going to do."
An ESPN source told the network that Stern’s latest proposal looked similar to the one used as an ultimatum before the deadline last Wednesday.
"I don't see what new there is to look over,” the source said. “A jump of $500,000 on a mini mid-level isn't getting anyone to change their stance."
Players are still threatening to decertify from the player’s union, ESPN reported 200 players are ready to sign a petition Monday that they hope will help motivate owners to adjust their stance.
However, Stern has maintained that he will not budge on his final deal and has done his best to save the 2011-2012 season.
"We don't expect them to love every aspect of our revised proposal," Stern said. "I would say that there are many teams that don't like every aspect of our revised proposal. (But) we moved as far as we could and now we're at where we're at."
