Basketball: NBA players to consider shortened schedule offer

The NBA Players Association will meet in New York today to discuss the latest offer from the owners and determine whether it satisfies enough of their demands to put an end to the industry lockout.

Representatives from all 30 teams are expected to attend as well as other interested players.

They could decide whether to accept the offer, which proposes a shortened 72-game schedule beginning on December 15.

Commissioner David Stern has said if the offer is rejected, then the owners will come back with an even harsher one. "We're not going to cancel the season this week," Stern said. "We're just going to present to them what we told them we would."

But in order for the NBA to have a 72-game season, Stern said the two sides would probably have to come to terms on a new collective bargaining agreement within the next week.

Stern and deputy commissioner Adam Silver also used Twitter to try to get their message across to the public.

During an 80-minute session, they discussed contraction and sending players to the development league, although that is not believed to be one of the items on the table in the latest offer.

Players including Miami's Dwyane Wade and Philadelphia's Spencer Hawes joined in the conversation.

Wade asked, "why are all your 'system solutions' only impacting the PLAYERS?? What have the owners [given] up of significance??"

The NBA responded, "The economics and system favoured the players in prior CBA," then again said team losses topped US$300 million ($381 million) last season.

- AAP