NBA Releases Plan For 66-Game Regular Season

Now that the NBA's players and owners have a tentative agreement to end the lockout, the league has released the structure of what is to be a 66-game schedule. The key points:

-- The regular season will run from Dec. 25 to April 26. Each team will play 48 conference games and 18 non-conference games. Teams are expected to play about two more games per month, according to the Sun-Times report.

-- The playoffs run from April 28 to June 26.

-- To save some time, teams will play on back-to-back-to-back days at least once, but no more than three times.

-- Back-to-back games are possible in the second round of the playoffs.

-- Bulls training camp is expected to begin Dec. 9, giving the team 16 days to prepare for their opener.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. For the latest on the tentative labor agreement, head over to SB Nation NBA.

With NBA Lockout Nearly Over, Details Begin To Emerge On New Deal

As noted earlier today, the NBA players and owners made a joint announcement that they have reached a tentative 10-year agreement to end the NBA lockout and begin an NBA season by Christmas day. The deal still requires a formal vote by both parties for approval, but details about the new CBA are already beginning to surface, so here is all the latest:

• The Basketball Related Income (BRI) split will be set by a band that can fluctuate between 49 and 51 percent for the players and owners, depending on the leagues annual growth. Previous offers had made it nearly impossible for the players to ever achieve the 51 percent share of BRI, but under this new tentative agreement they have a legitimate chance to reach that favorable split.
• According to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com, the owners relented on the so'called "Carmelo Anthony Rule," aiming to abolish extend-and-trade deals like the one that sent Anthony to the New York Knicks last season. The players got the win on this aspect of the deal, considering it may be use to Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard in the upcoming season as they aim to leverage new contracts with contenders.
• According to Steve Aschburner of NBA.com, the full mid-level exception for non-luxury tax teams will be five years for a maximum of $5 million. The owners had been asking for shorter contract lengths on the MLE, but apparently relented on that demand in the latest negotiation. For teams that are above the luxury tax threshold, there will be a mini mid-level exception for taxpaying teams that maxes out at $2.5 million.
• A 10 percent maximum escrow tax will be withheld from players' paychecks to structure the BRI split properly, but there will not be an additional increase as requested by the owners in the previous offer, per Steve Aschburner of NBA.com. The offer match period for restricted free agents will be reduced from seven days down to three days. Minimum qualifying offers for restricted free agents are expected to increase "significantly," according to Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com.    
• The current deal does still include the amnesty provision that would allow teams to cut one player on the roster and avoid having that salary count against the cap number, while possibly allowing teams to spread the remaining payments on the deal for a longer period of time. There were originally provisions for payment adjustments if the amnesty player signed with another team after being cut as well, so stay tuned for more on the mechanics of the provision.
• If the tentative deal receives the necessary votes for approval by both parties, which is expected at this point, the NBA will open a 66-game season that, under the original schedule, begins with a Christmas day tripleheader of games: Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks, Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers.
• The deal is a 10-year agreement that allows either side to opt out after six years.
• Training camps and free agency would both open on December 9th.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on theChicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Check out the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

NBA Lockout Settlement Update: Sides Have Reached A Tentative Agreement For NBA To Return

Early on Saturday morning, the NBA players and owners announced they have reached a tentative 10-year agreement to end the 149-day lockout, pending formal voting by both a reformed players union and NBA ownership. After a fierce negotiation process that left each side willing to talk openly about losing an entire season in the name of a more favorable deal, the joint announcement serves as a reminder that the end game in the negotiation has always been to get back to NBA basketball.

"We want to play basketball," Commissioner David Stern said.

"We thought it was in both of our interest to try to reach a resolution and save the game," union executive director Billy Hunter said.    

Here are more details on what we know right now:

• There are very few details about the agreement itself at this time, with both sides likely attempting to protect the integrity of the negotiation and the voting process, but formal voting by the players is expected to take place on either Saturday or Sunday. They must first voluntarily dismiss their lawsuits against the league and reform the players union before a vote can take place. As for the owners, they need 15 of 29 votes for approval (recall that the league owns the New Orleans Hornets, so that is an automatic) and the 13-member labor relations committee will discuss the agreement on Saturday before endorsing and recommending it to the full ownership board.
• If the tentative deal receives the necessary votes for approval by both parties, which is expected at this point, the NBA will open a 66-game season that, under the original schedule, begins with a Christmas day tripleheader of games: Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks, Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks and Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers. That would be one heck of a way to open the season, right? Right. 
• The deal is a 10-year agreement that allows either side to opt out after six years.
• Training camps and free agency would both open on December 9th. Deputy NBA Commissioner and Cheif Operating Officer Adam Silver eluded to the fact that the luxury tax will be harsher under the new system, saying:

"We feel ultimately it will give fans in every community hope their team can compete for championships, and that their basis for believing in their team will be a function of management of that team, rather than, as I've said before, how deep the owners pockets are or how large the market is."

• The NBA Playoffs and NBA Finals would both start one week later that normal under the new timetable.
• If all goes well in the next 48 hours, Luol Deng can stop looking at his overseas options and join up with reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose for a championship push. 
• Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on theChicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Check out the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

NBA Lockout News: Black Friday Negotiations Could Yield NBA Games By Christmas

In a lockout scenario that has frustrated even the most dedicated NBA fans, there is still a possibility that talks on Black Friday could lead to the NBA starting on Christmas. It's a redemption story that almost writes itself. Over the past few days, legal representatives for the NBA and the players' trade association have been quietly meeting to work on a settlement that would bring back a 66-game NBA season by Christmas.

At first, the talks were merely called "back-channeling" by NBA insiders, but now talks have evolved to the point that President of the Players' Association Derek Fisher has returned to the negotiating table. It is a bit of a strange move considering the union disclaimed interest several weeks back, which would cast doubt on the actual formal power of Fisher at this time and would lend credence to the owners argument that the disclaimer was a "sham" negotiating tactic from the beginning.

However, the union would have to reform before any deal was approved and consummated between the league and the players anyways, so this might be a sign a deal is very close. Once again, the deal is hanging on the thoughtful resolution of some key "system issues," as explained by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports:

The deal still centers on agreeing upon several key issues, including the escrow system and the use of full midlevel exceptions for tax-playing teams. The players are willing to agree to a 50-50 revenue split with the owners, provided some system issues are resolved. The owners appear to have again backed off their threats to return to a "reset" offer of a 53-47 revenue split in the owners' favor and a hard salary cap.    

Chris Sheridan of SheridanHoops.com believes the most difficult issue left on the table is the structure of the escrow system, which withholds a percentage from player paychecks to ensure a proper allocation of total Basketball Related Income at the end of the season. With the BRI split shifting down to 50-50 (from 57-43), the players stand to have more money withheld to make the whole mechanism work. Sheridan explains more:

Escrow funds are withheld from players' paychecks to ensure that total salaries do not exceed a pre-determined percentage. The players are willing to have 10 percent withheld, but there is a question of what will happen if those funds do not reduce the players' share to 50 percent of BRI. Does the shortage carry over into the next season? Do the players have to dip into a different pool of money (pension benefits, group licensing revenues) to make up the difference? This will be a tough nut to crack.    

With players getting restless, including Chicago Bulls' forward Luol Deng, who is exploring his overseas options and trying to navigate costly insurance issues, perhaps the time for a resolution is now. The NBA might be able to give fans the greatest Christmas present of all by finding a great Black Friday deal at the negotiating table.  

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on theChicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Check out the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

NBA Lockout 2011 Update: No Games Through Dec. 15, Players Miss First Paychecks

Without a collective bargaining agreement in place and no games being played, NBA players missed their first round of paychecks on Tuesday as the lockout continues. The players announced earlier this week that they've turned down the owners' offers and intend to disband and takes the league to court.

After weeks of negotiations that took numerous turns, NBAPA executive director Billy Hunter and union president Derek Fisher announced that team representatives voted unanimously to dissolve the players' union, and they expect to file an antitrust lawsuit against the NBA in the next day or two.

According to a CNBC report, the average player lost a check worth roughly $220,000 on Tuesday, and the amount of money that will be lost on both sides should only mount from here. I hope that all of you guys like college basketball.

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NBA Lockout 2011 Update: Players Disband Union, File Anti-Trust Lawsuit

The 2011 NBA lockout continues as the players have rejected the NBA's latest offer and have since moved to decertify the players union -- the NBPA -- and file an anti-trust lawsuit against the NBA. According to NBPA president Derek Fisher, the player's association was unified in their decision:

A lot of individual players have a lot of things at stake in their careers and where they stand, so we feel its important to all our players ... that we not only try to get a deal done for today, but also for the body of players who will come into this league for this decade and beyond.

With the decertification and lawsuit, the 2011 NBA season is almost definitely finished. Typically, anti-trust suits take several months at the minimum, so NBA fans will unlikely see any games until the 2012 season.

The news comes especially hard to Chicago Bulls fans, who must now wait at least another year until they can watch their Bulls defend the Central Division title. The Bulls finished the 2010-2011 season with an NBA-best 62-20 record.

For more Chicago Bulls and NBA updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For the latest on the NBA lockout, head over to SB Nation Basketball.

NBA Lockout 2011 Update: Details Surface For League's Revised Proposal

The fate of the NBA season may hang in the balance, as representatives for the National Basketball Players' Association mull David Stern's latest revised proposal. The arguments and contentions between the NBA owners and the NBPA have recently shifted from the Basketball Related Income (BRI) split, to the specific form and structure of various salary cap and free agency rules. Stern has adjusted the most recent proposal in response to the demands of union negotiators, but how far has the league extended their hand across the bargaining table?

Ken Berger of CBS Sports and Howard Beck of the New York Times have both provided some valuable details of the current offer. Berger is reporting the league's offer has made the following improvements from the previous one:

Increase the mid-level exception for luxury tax-paying teams to three-year deals starting at $3 million, available every year. The previous proposal called for mid-level deals for tax teams to be for two years starting at $2.5 million and available every other year.

Allow tax-payers to execute sign-and-trade transactions for the first two years of the agreement. Such trades would be banned for tax teams after that. They were completely banned for tax-payers in the prior proposal.

Create a new, $2.5 million exception that can be used by teams that are under the cap. It would allow teams that previously only had cap space to sign a minimum salary player to offer more.

Increase the team payroll floor (i.e. minimum team salary) to 90 percent of the cap in the third year of the deal and 85 percent in the first two years. It was 85 percent across the entire agreement in the previous proposal, and 75 percent in the prior CBA.  

Howard Beck adds some additional detail:

Players signed using so-called Bird rights would get 6.5 percent annual raises, up from 5.5 percent in the prior offer.

Players who sign contracts below the average salary would be eligible for opt-out clauses (which are otherwise banned, except in limited situations).

The 10-year labor deal would include a mutual opt-out after the sixth year - at the union's request - instead of the seventh.

There is plenty of discussion about whether the deal is enough to meet the expectations of players and achieve ratification in a union vote. Some players are clearly against accepting the current offer, and that group could deliver a petition for a vote to decertify the NBPA as soon as Monday, reports CBS Sports' Ken Berger. Meanwhile, some around the NBA think that union membership should hold a vote on the proposal to cut through the propaganda. David Falk, the former agent of NBA stars Michael Jordan and Patrick Ewing and current agent for nine NBA players has said "I think it would be a complete abdication of responsibility as agents for anyone to suggest that the players as a group shouldn't vote on whatever the final proposal is."    

Over the next few days, the union will make decisions on whether to vote regarding the current proposal, or file petitions with the National Labor Relations Board to decertify the union, or issue a dislcaimer of interest from union leaders that would dissolve the union immediately.  

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and be sure to check out the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

NBA Lockout 2011 Update: League Delivers Revised Proposal, Players Take It Under Consideration

In a conclusion to Thursday's negotiations between representatives for the NBA owners and the Players' Association, the NBPA left with an offer from the league in hand. Now representatives for the players will now meet early next week to discuss the league's revised offer, which is still believed to be based on a 50-50 BRI share split (not the 'reset' 53-47 split Stern warned players about in an informal ultimatum early last week). Stern said in Thursday's press conference that he is strongly confident the owners will approve the deal if the union does first, and thus if the union accepts the offer, he suggested a 72-game season can begin on December 15.

CBS Sports' Ken Berger is reporting that the so-called "system features" of the new offer include a proposed increase of the mini mid-level exception from two years starting at $2.5 million, to three years starting at $3 million for teams above the luxury-tax level, to be available every other year. However, he adds that it might not be enough of a give for the union reps:

There was no indication union negotiators were ready to agree to this slight improvement in the owners' proposal, as it would reduce the mid-level exception for tax teams from last year's five-year, $37 million total to three years and $9 million for teams above the tax line.    

If you are still optimistic about the prospect of the parties reaching an agreement in principle, SB Nation's Tom Ziller brings up some interesting thoughts on just how chaotic a compressed 72-game season would be:

A normal 82-game season starts around the beginning of November and ends in mid-April, encompassing 5-1/2 months. That gives us just about 15 games per month per team. The lockout-shortened '98-99 season crammed 50 regular season games into almost exactly three months, for 16.7 games per month per team.

A 72-game schedule starting December 15 and ending after the third week in April would give us 72 games in 4.25 months, or 17 games per month per team.

If you have been starved for NBA basketball, mutual agreement on the terms of the current proposal would be a dream come true in so many ways. 

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2011 NBA Lockout Update: League Offers New Deal, Players Break Off Talks

Negotiations between the National Basketball Association and NBA players ended on Thursday when the players broke off talks, claiming that not enough progress had been made on a deal. The two sides continued to negotiate this week in the hopes of getting a season started relatively soon, but optimism seems to be waning on both sides.

When the two sides met on Thursday, the league offered a new proposal to the players following 11 hours of negotiation. The deal proposed to complete a 72-game season that would begin on Dec. 15, but apparently didn't satisfy the players' demands. Here's what union president Derek Fisher told reporters on Thursday:

[The league's new offer] does not meet us entirely on the system issues that we felt were extremely important to try and close this thing out, and so at this point we've decided to end things for now, take a step back.

At this point, it's getting hard to envision how this entire thing is going to end. The players appear to be taking a stand here, while the owners are already showing little interest in budging on what they've offered. NBA commissioner David Stern spoke with reporters on Thursday and said as much:

There comes a time when you have to be through negotiating, and we are. This is the best attempt by the labor relations committee and therefore the NBA to address the concerns that the players expressed coming out of their meeting of the player representatives.

For now, everyone in the basketball world essentially goes back to "wait-and-see" mode. The players want to give up less than they're being asked to, and we're beginning to see now just how willing both sides are to miss actual games.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Check out the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

2011 NBA Lockout News: Wednesday Talks Become Thursday Talks Without An Agreement In Place Yet

NBA lockout negotiations have pushed through David Stern's original Wednesday at 5 p.m.deadline, because representatives for the owners and players are still trying to hammer out an agreement. Wednesday's meeting pushed right into early Thursday morning local New York time, but nothing was agreed upon by either side. Talks will continue on Thursday at 12:00 p.m. ET. 

Stern had extended an informal ultimatum to players earlier in the week, and now it appears both parties have taken the process seriously enough to disregard the deadline for acceptance. Even so, Stern refused to talk much about the progress of the negotiations: 

"Nothing was worked out today," commissioner David Stern said. "I would not read into this optimism or pessimism."    

Furthermore, NBPA President  Derek Fisher didn't sound too optimistic when he spoke to reporters either, adding: "We're going to meet again tomorrow to give it our best effort, but we don't know if it will be enough."

For more on the latest details of the negotiations, make sure to check out Tom Ziller's most recent article.

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2011 NBA Lockout Update: Players Reject Stern's Proposal

NBA Commissioner David Stern laid out his most recent proposal--a 50-50 split, or something very close to it--with a warning to the players' union: take the deal by Wednesday evening or it would be replaced by something far less agreeable. Well, the players huddled and on Tuesday decided to reject the deal.

Following a meeting with players representing all 30 NBA teams, here is what union president Derek Fisher had to say:

"Our orders are clear, the current offer that is on the table is not one we are able to accept," union president Derek Fisher said.

So much for that. Now we'll have to see if David Stern makes good on his threats, and if this dooms what remains of the 2011-2012 NBA season.

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2011 NBA Lockout Update: David Stern's Ultimatum

In a letter sent to union executive director Billy Hunter, David Stern outlined a proposal and gave the players until Wednesday evening agree to it or face the prospect of a significantly less friendly offer.

"Rather than simply proceeding, as we could have, to offer a less favorable proposal at this time, the N.B.A. is providing an additional period of time for the players association to consider our 50/50 proposal," Stern wrote. "We are hopeful that the prospect of a less favorable outcome for the players will prompt the players association to realize that the best deal that can be reached is the one the N.B.A. is prepared to make right now."

(Via.)

Stern threatens several consequences, including a salary "rollback" that would cut the players' share to 47% should they fail to agree to the 50-50 proposal. Stern appeared on ESPN Monday and said he feels there's a "great offer on the table" and that "the only rational thing to do is for us to make that deal."

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NBA Lockout 2011 News: Some Players And Agents Are Looking Into Decertification Options

NBA Lockout 2011 News: NBA, NBPA Meeting Set For Saturday

Union representative and New York Knicks guard Roger Mason told The Associated Press that the owners and players will resume negotiations on Saturday, more than a week since their last meeting.

The most recent labor talks occurred last Friday and fell apart in dramatic fashion. Afterward, NBA commissioner David Stern canceled the remainder of November regular-season games and said there is no chance of rearranging or extending the schedule to play a full slate of 82 games.

A source told ESPN's Rich Bucher that this could be the last opportunity for both sides to come to an agreement before NBA Commissioner David Stern cancels another chunk of the schedule, so the pressure continues to mount as the two sides keep trying but remain irreconcilable. Stern has already canceled all NBA games through November.

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2011 NBA Lockout Update: David Stern Cancels More Games

After talks between the league and Players Association broke down on Friday afternoon, ESPN's Chris Broussard reported that more games would be canceled. Now we have word from NBA Commissioner David Stern himself: games have been canceled through Nov. 30.

Said Stern:

"It's not practical, possible or prudent to have a full season now. There will not be full NBA season under any circumstances"

It's a really disappointing turn of events after the progress made this week, but at least there's still a chance we'll see Derrick Rose and the rest of the Bulls play basketball this season.

The Bulls' official website has already been updated to reflect the latest cancellations.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league, and check the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

2011 NBA Lockout Update: Friday's Talks Break Down

The NBA's owners and players met for the third consecutive day on Friday, and they had hoped that the day might bring a resolution to the conflict over finances:

Both sides pointed toward Friday as the day they hoped to close the gap on the finances. Owners are insistent on a 50-50 split of revenues, while players last formally proposed they get 52.5 percent, leaving them about $100 million apart annually. Players were guaranteed 57 percent in the previous collective bargaining agreement.

However, multiple sources, including Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski, that talks between the league and the Players Association have "broken off" once more. Disagreement over the revenue split remains one of the major issues preventing the sides from coming to terms.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league, and check the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

Thursday's NBA Lockout Negotiations Pave The Way For A Strong Friday Session on BRI

National Basketball Player's Association head Billy Hunter left Thursday's meetings with good things to say about the progress being made. As Hunter explained:

"I think we're within striking distance of getting a deal... Commissioner Stern is back there smiling, so I think that's a good indication."

NBA Commissioner David Stern was indeed present at the NBPA press conference, which is something a bit different than previous days. For what it's worth, even Stern seemed optimistic about returning to negotiate on Friday, saying:

"I can't tell you that we resolved anything in such a big way, but there's an element of continuity, familiarity, and I hope trust...and we're looking forward to making something good happen."

Both sides acknowledged that Thursday's session focused on "system issues" like luxury tax and salary cap structure, leaving the all important BRI (Basketball Related Income) distribution for negotiation on Friday. Stern told reporters he had an idea of what the new CBA would look like at this point, and added that it would be a failure if no deal was reach by the end of the weekend.

When media members asked Billy Hunter when the big moves would be made, Stern spoke up from the back of the room to say "tomorrow." That day is now upon us, so let's see what movement occurs.

Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bulls be sure to visit Blog a Bull. Visit SB Nation NBA for more news and notes around the league, and check the SB Nation storystream for the latest news on the NBA lockout.

2011 NBA Lockout Update: Both Sides Hopeful, Expected To Meet Friday

There's been an ever-so-positive wind running through the NBA's lockout over the past couple days, with both the league and the players union showing some signs of optimism about a deal actually getting done, via NBA.com. After we got word of a productive 15-hour meeting between both sides that occurred on Wednesday, it appears that optimism remains intact after Thursday's meetings.

Both sides took to the media after Thursday's meetings, and for the most part the situation appears to be fairly promising. Comments from both sides appeared to be geared towards the possibility that a deal actually gets done over the next few days, something that should really excite basketball fans around the world. And arguably more importantly, there's a small chance that we could still get a full season in.

This all must be particularly exciting for Bulls fans, and trust me, I get it. Few teams in the entire league are more exciting than the Bulls, and few players are more exciting than Derrick Rose. After years of watching teams led by the likes of Ron Mercer, Jalen Rose and Kirk Hinrich, there couldn't really be a worse time for Chicago fans to lose an NBA season. Let's all hope that never becomes the case.

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NBA Lockout 2011 News: Progress Made In Wednesday's 15 Hour Negotiating Session Leaves The Door Open For Full NBA Season

Wednesday's 15-hour negotiation session between representatives for NBA ownership and the NBA Players Association left both sides acknowledging that progress has been made. If a deal is reached by the end of the week, a full NBA season may be salvaged as well.