While the league has set a deadline for Wednesday to accept the latest proposal or the offers get worse, the players are trying to hit back with that big nasty d-word.

The whole process is complicated. But it only starts with an initial petition that would allow a vote on decertification. In order to even be allowed to vote on it, there has to be a minimum of around 130 players -- or 30 percent -- sign it. Will they get that far along? A report from ESPN.com says yes.

Sources close to the process say leaders of the decertification movement -- with Boston Celtics star Paul Pierce most noticeably at the forefront -- can and will find the required 130-ish players needed to sign a petition to vote on decertification by Monday or Tuesday. And that's when the clock would really start in terms of saving the season … unless you believe that the league is truly prepared to take the villainous step of canceling the season if there’s no deal by Wednesday.
The report says the players aim to get around 200 signatures and not just the low number of 130. If the petition passes, only then does the actual process of decertifying happen. Then the National Labor Relations Board has to rule if the vote can even take place. That window though is for 45 days and that's the whole plan for this decertification: The players want those 45 key days of negotiating where the owners actually fear the prospect of decertification. That's where they think they can make up ground.

But understand this: The petition the players are expected to sign this week only means that potentially a decertification vote could take place. And if it ever gets that far, a majority -- some 230 players -- would have to vote to decertify. Would they really do it though? That's the question the players want the owners asking.

http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/33140333?source=rss_blogs_NBA

I knew it would be bad if the owners tried to go for the kill rather than let the players have some small concession. It's just not how good deals get done.

Deadlines? Retraction of offers? GOt a hot head laywer (Kessler) rallying the troops into a frenzy, Hunter is laid up with a bad back, and Players are over their heads. Who is leading the players? Most Players lean on the agents for advice and IM not sure this is a good idea for them either way.

This, or the owners are real stupid!

50 player reps going to meet in NYC on Tueday.

I wonder what they will wear?

eViL wrote:this is crazy-ness. this negotiation is terrible. it's gone far worse than the most hardball zero sum negotiations out there. this is like below zero sum with both sides seemingly willing to take massive losses only to avoid succumbing to even the slightest sniff of a compromise.

Say what? The players have compromised repeatedly, including their latest offer of 51%, which was the landing spot all along. The owners are playing hardball, or perhaps even trying to break up the union. They are greedy rich douche bags and I hope they fail. Yes, some of the players are well-paid. But hey are professional athletes and deserve what they have. The owners deserve a fair chance to profit, but they are not negotiating in good faith. They are squeezing the union in an uncompromising way.

Stern is an a-hole.

Nalod wrote:Im not sure some athletes are used to hearing the word "no".

same can be said of the owners.

ItalianStallion wrote:If the players decertify, I wonder if that opens the door to the owners bringing in European players, "D" league players, players that got drafted but are unsigned etc.... and beginning the league all over again next year. If they started that process, a lot of players would freak and cross over and play.

Are you serious!?!? That league would be as popular as the WNBA.

TheloniusMonk wrote:

ItalianStallion wrote:If the players decertify, I wonder if that opens the door to the owners bringing in European players, "D" league players, players that got drafted but are unsigned etc.... and beginning the league all over again next year. If they started that process, a lot of players would freak and cross over and play.

Are you serious!?!? That league would be as popular as the WNBA.

You are right. The first couple of years it would be bad, but after 2-3 drafts (including this one) the league would be loaded with stars again and the basketball would be great again. It would never get to that point though. AS soon the owners said FU to the players, most of them would simply come back to work rather than than be unemployed.

ItalianStallion wrote:

TheloniusMonk wrote:

ItalianStallion wrote:If the players decertify, I wonder if that opens the door to the owners bringing in European players, "D" league players, players that got drafted but are unsigned etc.... and beginning the league all over again next year. If they started that process, a lot of players would freak and cross over and play.

Are you serious!?!? That league would be as popular as the WNBA.

You are right. The first couple of years it would be bad, but after 2-3 drafts (including this one) the league would be loaded with stars again and the basketball would be great again. It would never get to that point though. AS soon the owners said FU to the players, most of them would simply come back to work rather than than be unemployed.