The NBA and NBPA share optimism on the state of the collective bargaining agreement negotiations ahead of Friday’s deadline, sources on both sides told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
Adam Silver said the NBA plans to opt out of the current collective bargaining agreement if a deal is not reached by Friday. Talks, however, could continue until June 30th before a lockout.
Silver said the league and the NBPA have separated the various issues on the table into different groups, from player health to systemic issues with the league to various economic discussions, adding that both sides can “acknowledge we’ve come closer together.”
“This word never gets old but becomes often used in these negotiations, with the goal being let’s just make sure it’s still fair,” Silver said. “Sometimes in partnerships, you have to fall back on words like ‘good faith’ and ‘fairness.'”
Silver said there was a “gap” between where things currently stand and where they’ll need to get to in order for a deal to be done.
