NBA Lockout: 6 Owners Who Could Help Facilitate an End to the Lockout

The NBA's owners appear to be a divided group amidst the ongoing lockout.

With the league having announced separate cancellations of two-week chunks of the season, it's clear that NBA officials don't expect to be playing basketball at any juncture before December.

However, there are some owners who have expressed a willingness to come to an agreement on a Collective Bargaining Agreement in an effort to have basketball be played as soon as possible.

Mark Cuban, Dallas Mavericks

Cuban wants to play as soon as possible with his team coming off of its first ever NBA title, and he's made no secret about his desire to return to the hardwood.

He attempted to introduce "The Game Changer" during recent negotiations, an idea which would have completely eliminated the salary cap.

He's shown a willingness to spend in an effort to build the best club that he can, and with other owners drawing a line in the sand as to where they stand, it's refreshing to see at least one is attempting to garner new ideas in the pursuit of a resolution.

Jerry Buss, Los Angeles Lakers

Buss wants to get the ball rolling for obvious reasons as his Lakers are always at the forefront of competition in the league, and he's got more to lose than to gain with an extended lockout.

Unlike some other owners sitting on the opposite side of the fence, Buss has proven that he's a successful owner, and he's had no problem shelling out the big bucks to put his money where his mouth is and build a solid roster.

His team was valued by Forbes at the beginning of 2011 as the second most valuable in all of the NBA, so any time that eats into the season is not going to sit well with Buss.

Micky Arison, Miami Heat

LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the same court.

There's no doubt that Arison wants to see his merry band of men back together with Heat jerseys on as soon as possible, as his franchise underwent a radical transformation last offseason and now stands to be one of the most well-recognized for the foreseeable future.

He clearly enjoyed operating under the old system as he knew exactly how to tweak it to his advantage, and his big three made it all the way to the NBA Finals in their first season together.

Mikhail Prokhorov, New Jersey Nets

Prokhorov made it clear when he took over the Nets that money wouldn't be an object when it came to improving the roster, and that notion was supported with the signing of Travis Outlaw.

While the investments made during the 2010 offseason proved to be less than inspiring on the court, he demonstrated that he's not averse to making big splashes, acquiring Deron Williams at the trade deadline in a move that almost nobody saw coming.

No matter what the salary cap structure shakes out to be, I wouldn't doubt that Prokhorov would willingly spend whatever it takes to put a competitive team on the court as soon as he possibly can.

James Dolan, New York Knicks

Dolan gets a ton of criticism for his role with the team and being good pals with Isiah Thomas, but he's emerged as one of the good guys in the current labor discussions.

He has two (still new) superstars to play with, an insanely beneficial television deal and Madison Square Garden will fill the seats on a nightly basis because the city loves its Knicks.

He's one big-market owner with a lot to lose should the entire season be washed out, and I'm sure he wants to see his product out on the hardwood.

Richard DeVos, Orlando Magic

Arguably the owner with the most to lose from a shortened season is DeVos, and there's one enormous reason as to why that may be the case.

Howard can become an unrestricted free agent after the 2011-12 season, and while many are hinting that he's preparing to leave Orlando, the worst case scenario for the Magic would be saying goodbye without even weighing the pros and cons of what he could potentially bring in return via trade.

The team has been between a rock and a hard place in an effort to compete in a crowded Eastern Conference, but if Orlando can use both the "stretch exception" and amnesty clause that may be available in a new CBA, the roster could certainly change around Howard really quickly.