NBA reaches tentative deal (Story Mode Federation)

Title: NBA reaches tentative deal
Description: 66-game schedule would begin on Xmas

Fear The Orton Pose \__0_/ - November 26, 2011 05:48 PM (GMT)

ESPN.com

QUOTE

NBA owners and players reached a tentative agreement early Saturday to end the 149-day lockout and hope to begin the delayed season on Christmas Day.

Neither side provided many specifics but said the only words players and fans wanted to hear.

"We want to play basketball," NBA commissioner David Stern said.

After a secret meeting earlier this week, the sides met for more than 15 hours Friday, working to try to save the season. This handshake deal, however, still must be ratified by both owners and players.

Stern said it was "subject to a variety of approvals and very complex machinations, but we're optimistic that will all come to pass and that the NBA season will begin Dec. 25."

Barring a change in scheduling, the 2011-12 season will open with the Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, followed by Miami at Dallas in an NBA finals rematch before MVP Derrick Rose and Chicago close the tripleheader against Kobe Bryant and the Lakers.

The league plans a 66-game season and aims to open training camps Dec. 9. Stern has said it would take about 30 days from an agreement to playing the first game.

A majority on each side is needed to approve the agreement. The NBA needs votes from 15 of 29 owners. (The league owns the New Orleans Hornets.)

Stern said the labor committee plans to discuss the agreement later Saturday and expects them to endorse it and recommend to the full board.

The union needs a simple majority of its 430-plus members. That process is a bit more complicated after the players dissolved the union Nov. 14. Now, they must drop their antitrust lawsuit in Minnesota and re-form the union before voting on the deal.

Because the union disbanded, a new collective bargaining agreement can be completed only once the union has re-formed. Drug testing and other issues still must be negotiated between the league and the players.

some of the details are that the CBA is for 10 yrs (although each side can opt out after 6 years), the BRI split is around 50-50, no hard cap but the luxury tax will be harsher for teams that go over the cap, & oh yeah there WILL be an Amnesty Clause this offseason (means that each team can release one player without his contract counting against the luxury tax threshold regardless of how long or how rich the contract was)

candidates of the Amnesty Clause could include Rashard Lewis, Gilbert Arenas, Baron Davis, Brandon Roy, Mike Miller, etc.

some of the things the 2 sides still have to figure out is the age limit but hopefully they keep it at "19 or playing at least one year in college" & also drug testing

PFAN - November 30, 2011 04:53 PM (GMT)