You knew it was going to wait until the last hour. This is where the rubber truly meets the road. Get a deal in place tonight, and we have a regular season. If not, things get real dicey.
Source: League, players trying to arrange meeting - CBSSports.com
Top negotiators for the NBA and its players' association are trying to arrange a last-ditch bargaining session Sunday night before a deadline hits Monday to cancel the first two weeks of the regular season, a person briefed on the developments confirmed to CBSSports.com. The New York Times first reported efforts to hold the meeting were under way. Details of the meeting are sketchy and still developing, the source said. But all the necessary parties are in New York -- commissioner David Stern, deputy commissioner Adam Silver, NBPA executive director Billy Hunter and president Derek Fisher.
This has (in large part) mostly been a dog and pony show where each side postures and puffs out their chests. The players (with a very weak position) gave a lot early on but are only willing to bend so far. The owners have come off their hardline hard cap demands and now the sides are just fighting for the last few chips on the table.
Hopefully this will all soon be over. I really don't want to think too hard about the alternative.