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 General Basketball WiretapNBA Lockout LoomsUnion director Billy Hunter addressed several players and has said the possibility of another NBA lockout next summer is possible. `We don't come to this process as neophytes. We don't have the same kind of naivety that we had before,'' Hunter told The Associated Press. ``The guys understand that the negotiations could ultimately result in another lockout, and they have to prepare themselves for that. ``If the owners are not inclined to retreat from their current proposal, there's a high probability there can be another lockout,'' Hunter said. Union members say the league has asked for numerous concessions in an initial proposal presented during two preliminary bargaining sessions held after the All-Star break. Owners are seeking a four-year maximum length for any contract, higher luxury tax rates for the clubs with the largest payrolls and lower thresholds to trigger the luxury and escrow taxes. ``How would I describe the proposal? A step back,'' Hunter said. ``In many ways it mirrors the proposal that was presented in 1998, a proposal that lasted at least five months and called for significant rollbacks and forced the players to dig in. ``I suspect that if that continues to be the attitude of the owners, then they might get the same type of reaction from this group of players as they got in 1998 -- becoming just as entrenched and instrident as the owners are in terms of what their position is, and where we should and should not be.'' NBA commissioner David Stern, upon hearing Hunter's remarks, took a conciliatory tone. ``I'm optimistic. I'm glad that the players are engaged and involved, because whenever you have people who understand the economics of a business thoroughly, you're more likely to reach an agreement,'' Stern said in a telephone interview. ``I won't even characterize some of the ideas the players represented that they might like to see, but it's fair to say that whenever the players or owners put forth a proposal, it's done with expectation there could be some changes -- but that's where negotiations come in. And those negotiations are where deals get done, not by hurling threats in the newspapers.'' Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback 7-Foot Aleksandrov Sends Letter to SternMindful that an NBA age limit may be just around the corner, the 17-year-old Serbian 7-footer Nemanja Aleksandrov sent a letter through his agent to David Stern and the NBA league office, declaring his entry for the 2005 Draft. Aleksandrov has been dominating junior competition for two years and is widely believed to be a top international prospect. Aleksandrov plays small forward and possesses a smooth long-range touch. Experts say his game and no-limit potential could make him the top overall pick in the Draft. NBA rules state that underclassmen must be at least 18 by the date of the upcoming draft. Therefore, the idea of his SFX agent is to get this declaration letter in now and have his entry 'grandfathered in' in case NBA rules change before Aleksandrov turns 18 next April 10. The NBA has indicated that it will try to create a 20-year-old age limit in the next collective bargaining agreement. Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Layden Looking To Get Back Into LeagueRumors abound Layden was working on a Marbury deal in New York two weeks before Isiah did. With press like that backing him up, ex-Knicks GM Scott Layden is looking to get back into the league. "I'm looking forward to the next opportunity," Layden said. "I've spent every waking minute with my family and have had a wonderful time. But I'm still young. I want to keep working." Layden would prefer to work with a team, but according to an NBA official there is a possibility that Layden could be hired by the league office in some capacity. Media relations is probably out of the question. New York Knicks, General Basketball Read the Full Story Discuss Send Feedback Buy Tickets Jun 2004 Archive
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