The points finally polishing to achieve an agreement

"We can not accept the offer from the NBA." The players union president Derek Fisher, he was thus overwhelming after a meeting with union representatives of the equipment. With this sentence, Fisher dismissed the offer expires David Stern said Wednesday. However, although the commissioner warned the players that if they did not accept these conditions, the following proposal is worse, all is not lost.

According to Sports Illustrated, ESPN and CBS, the players are willing to negotiate a reduction in their share of BRI as long as the owners are willing to sit down and negotiate and work on certain aspects of the system with the players still do not agree. One way to hope to definitely end the 'lockout'. These are the points of agreement and disagreement that exist in this negotiation.

Common Ground

1. The 'superlevy' luxury. The parties have agreed as to a punitive tax for teams that exceed the salary cap. For every dollar that exceed this threshold (up to five million) must pay a dollar and a half. They also agreed that this tax be increased by five million salary cap is exceeded.

2. Larry Bird exception. Players and owners have signed the 'Bird exception', which allows teams to exceed the salary cap to re-sign their own free agents, will remain in force.

3. Duration of contracts. Under the previous agreement a team could sign their own free agents for six years and sign a free agent for five. Now players have given and reduce that number to five and four respectively.

4. Minimum wages for equipment. 's minimum wage a team must assume at least 85% of the salary cap.

5. Amnesty clause. A team may waive a player and his contract will not count under the salary cap. This clause can be used at any time while the collective agreement is in effect.

6. Injury exception. In case of an injury for a player to miss the season finale, the teams will have five million a year to sign a player.

7. Restricted free agents. Each team will have three days to match the offers that come by their restricted free agents.

8. Stretch exception. The idea was to cut a player whose income is too high and not giving up. Although the player will receive his entire salary, the idea is to divide the remaining salary of the player in seven years to minimize its impact on the team's salary cap. Thus, if a player his remaining 49 million over three seasons rather than computed as 16 +16 +17 compute as 7 +7 +7 +7 +7 +7 +7

Points of conflict

1. The luxury tax. There are two issues that are still subject to controversy and confrontation. a) The NBA has proposed that if a team pays the luxury tax over three years to five, will have to pay a dollar more per dollar, in addition to what already pay for the 'superlevy estate' b) If a team passes the salary cap, even for a dollar, you lose your interest in the fund taxes. That is, only those teams that do not exceed the limit will benefit from this money. The players have voiced opposition to both points for one simple reason: the equipment would not exceed the salary cap and salaries would be lower.

2. Mid-level exception. As stated by the NBA except reduce this $ 5.8 million to five. However, the NBA team can not sign the player for more than three seasons. In addition, if a team is paying the luxury tax, the NBA requires that no longer can use this exception and has to qualify for exemption under 2.5 million. The opposing players as this measure hurts the middle class and would pressure measurement for the teams did not pay the luxury tax.

3. 'Escrow'. The NBA is looking for a warranty-10 percent-which, in essence, guarantee their objective in the BRI. The players, meanwhile, have risen this guarantee fund, but up 8.1%.

4. Sign-and-trade. The NBA proposed to ban such operations teams that pay the luxury tax. Players refuse.

5. Contracts for the rookies. While the salary scale for rookies would remain the same, the union has pushed to create a type of contract that the elite rookies can earn more money faster.

6. Exceptions. The League wants to keep the existing ones, while the players want to increase them.

7. Annual increases. According to the latest agreement, players are entitled to an increase of 10.5% for those players who are under the "Larry Bird exception 'and 8.5% for others. The players have agreed to reduce this percentage to 7.5 and 6.5 respectively. The offer of the League is from 5.5 to 3%.

8. Salary cap. The League wants it down, while the players want to stay.