Report: 15 NBA Owners Hope Players Reject Latest Offer

According to ESPN, hardline owners such as Michael Jordan, Paul Allen and Herb Kohl are hoping that NBA players shoot down the 50/50 proposal, so that they can truly crush them with the next offer(s): “The deal, which the union sees as an ‘ultimatum’ offer, calls for players to receive anywhere between 49 and 51 percent of basketball-related income, but the group of displeased owners, the sources said, are hoping the players reject it. Stern has issued a Wednesday afternoon deadline for the deal, which players argue would make it nearly impossible for them to get anywhere above 50.2 percent of revenue. If the players do not accept this deal, Stern said the next one will call for a 53-47 split in the owners’ favor, along with essentially a hard salary cap. Sources have told ESPN.com that the union’s executive committee is scheduled to meet with the 30 player representatives in New York on Tuesday and a source said earlier that the union appears split on the deal. The executive committee, the source said, is staunchly against voting to approve the deal, while the player reps may also be divided. However, a source said later Monday that the owners on the call fear that the player reps will push to approve the deal with the clock ticking. Stern was not on Monday’s call, but the sources said that up to 11 owners took part, including Charlotte’s Michael Jordan, Portland’s Paul Allen and Milwaukee’s Herb Kohl. ‘There are at least 15 owners who are praying that the players say no,’ one source said, ‘because then they’ll get the deal they want.'”