Photo credit: AP | Los Angeles Lakers ' Derek Fisher , president of the NBA players' associationm, speaks during a news conference speaks as union executive director Billy Hunter , left, looks on during a news conference. (Nov. 8, 2011)
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Perhaps there was some symbolism in the chance meeting between NBPA president Derek Fisher and former U.S. president Bill Clinton Tuesday night at a Manhattan hotel. The two Arkansas natives embraced and Clinton handed over an autographed copy of his new book, which has a fitting title: "Back to Work."
Fisher had just emerged from a three-hour meeting with the union's executive committee and player representatives from 29 of the 30 NBA teams (the Celtics were not present) and was urged to get the players back to work, as well. So Fisher and union executive director Billy Hunter promised to make an effort to meet with the NBA Wednesday and make a compromise before the league's deadline on their most recent proposal.
"Our orders are clear right now," Fisher said. "The current offer that is on the table from the NBA is not one that we can accept. Our orders are also clear that we are willing to negotiate."
As of Tuesday nght, the NBA had yet to schedule a meeting with the union, but commissioner David Stern told NBA TV , "I'm always happy to take Billy's call," but the labor relations committee first needs to discuss it.
Stern said the current proposal would be withdrawn Wednesday "at the close of business."
Stern informed the union that if the deal wasn't accepted, the next offer from the owners would return to their original platform of a hard-cap system, a 53-47 split in favor of the owners and a rollback of current contracts.
Fisher suggested the players are open to compromising on the economics -- the league wants a 50-50 split of league revenue -- if the owners would be willing to change specific points in the salary-cap system, such as allowing sign-and-trades, removing restrictions for offering the mid-level exception, softening the league's "repeat offender" tax and decreasing the percentage of escrow withheld each season. "Without those improvements in the system, we don't see a way of getting a deal done between now and the end of business [Wednesday] Fisher said.
Fisher, who has been criticized by agents and players and accused of attempting to work a side deal with Stern, received encouragement from Clinton, with whom he has maintained a long relationship.
As the two shared a brief private moment, Clinton said with a laugh, "Now you know what I felt like all those years."
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