Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big storyline. Because there's nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.
The league and players union emerged from their longest labor meeting of the 111-day lockout “still not anywhere near a deal,” a league source said. Representatives from both sides refused to comment publicly on the nature of talks, citing a gag order from mediator George Cohen.
Asked if the sides had closed any gaps between them, a source in the meeting told Y! Sports: “On small stuff. Hard to see where this is going.”
"Nothing has been agreed to," said a person who was briefed on the talks. "There was nothing to say."
Negotiators rehashed the issues they've been wrestling with for more than two years, with the difference being that Cohen, according to a source, "took the emotion out of it." No topics were excluded from the mediation session, including the biggest obstacles in the way of a deal — the split of revenues and a revised luxury tax system that would replace the hard team salary cap owners long sought in their efforts to achieve parity and competitive balance.
As long as both sides are negotiating, I'll hold out hope. Talks are scheduled to resume at 10am.
NBA.com's David Aldridge tweeted this positive aspect, "Was there progress? Yes; the NBA didn't cancel more games, as it said it might w/o deal Tues."
There is one development that could put some pressure on ownership and David Stern. City officials in Memphis are exploring legal action against the NBA for loss of revenue. FedEx Forum was built with tax money. Let's hope this effort gains traction and other cities follow suit.
The rest of the links:
CSNNE – No new CBA after 16 hour session | Bob Ryan – No sympathetic figures in NBA lockout | ESPN – Magic makes fun of Lebron | Rondo ranked 17th best player |
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