Carmelo Anthony 'skeptical' that a new CBA will be in place before Thursday's deadline
There was a sense of optimism from both the players and the owners that a new collective bargaining agreement would be reached before the Dec. 15 deadline, when either side may opt out of the agreement that's currently in place. But Carmelo Anthony, who is the vice president for the players' union, said a recent snag now has him doubting that something will get done before Thursday.
"I'm skeptical of something getting done," Anthony told ESPN. "Do I think something could happen by the 15th? Yeah, I think something could happen. But I think this kind of put a dent in conversations. We had something so close. We were supposed to have a deal done weeks ago, and for this to happen at the 25th hour is tough."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver and executive director of the NBPA Michele Roberts have been working together to try to get a new deal done before the deadline for either side to opt out, because that would ensure that there could be neither a strike nor a lockout when the current agreement expires at the conclusion of the 2017 season. And with billions in revenue streaming in from the league's new broadcast rights deal, any type of real labor dispute would seem extremely foolish.
ESPN is reporting that the issue of "control over licensing matters and the use of player likenesses" is what's causing the latest snag, but also that both sides on Saturday continued to express optimism that a new deal is within reach.
If either side does opt out at Thursday's deadline, they would still have until June 30, the date when the current agreement expires, to put a new one in place.
