NBA Lockout: Season Potentially on Line as Union To Consider Stern's Proposal

Monday is a monumental day for the NBA and its players during the ongoing lockout.

The players will come together to discuss the league's most recent formal offer in serious depth, as there is a plethora of misinformation making the rounds over social media and the Internet.

The meeting is not limited to just the NBPA executive committee or team representatives, as any player is invited to join the session.

There have been varying reports on whether or not the majority of players would accept the current deal, but the union can't even vote on the offer until granted the ability to do so.

Despite the rumors running rampant and the misinformation that has pervaded these talks between the two sides, the league's proposal has been unveiled, and that should leave no room for confusion at this juncture.

Let's debunk some items that have been the focus of many but are simply untrue.

There was a report from Ric Bucher of ESPN that the league was pushing for a clause that would allow teams to send players to the NBA Development League and pay them a prorated portion of a $75,000 salary.

That is false. It didn't take long for the NBA to respond to that, and the official Twitter account of the league's labor updates responded by stating that it wasn't in the November 11 proposal.

Some erroneous reports had "Bird" contract rights being trivialized and the middle class of players being squeezed out of the market, and some went as far as to suggest that the revised league offer was actually worse than the one previously submitted.

There's simply no evidence to support any of that as fact.

Howard Beck of The New York Times breaks it down in depth after extensively reviewing the seven-page proposal.

• For instance, the league is now proposing a higher mid-level exception for luxury-tax-paying teams—$3 million for three seasons and available every year. The league had been proposing a $2.5 million exception for two seasons, available every other year.

• It increased the annual raises for “Bird” players, and at the union’s suggestion, the NBA agreed that the 10-year labor deal could be terminated by either side after the sixth year, instead of the seventh.

However, the league does propose a 12 percent reduction on rookie and minimum contracts.

As Beck writes, there's no question that the offer would be a "win" for the league, but it's been evident for some time that it'd come out on top.

Additionally, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports details the numerous "B-list" issues that have yet to be dealt with and how those could potentially impact a deal:

"

One of the most prominent issues that has been raised in talks includes the NBA’s desire to cut into the players’ share of the revenue split should owners decide to contract teams over the proposed 10-year deal, sources said.

...

The NBA also wants to be able to contract teams without consulting the union.

"

But it doesn't just stop there:

"

Also, the NBA wants to conduct out-of-season drug testing of players, including testing for some drugs and performance-enhancing substances that could only be done through blood samples.

"

That's a stark comparison from where it previously stood, as the league had used in-season urine sampling for recreational drugs.

Wojnarowski describes a growing sentiment of teams that are unhappy with the current deal on the table, and if the players reject the league's proposal once again, that is an issue that's going to become far more prevalent going forward.

There's no doubt that there is dissension on both sides of the negotiating table, but it's become incredibly evident within the union.

This is money that some of these guys will never recoup. These are opportunities the middle class of players may never again receive.

Most importantly, these are guys who love the game of basketball and are desperate to start hooping.

Sam Amick of Sports Illustrated obtained a letter from NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter to the players prior to the Monday meeting.

The session could last 20 minutes, or it could last 12 hours.

The players have a lot on the line, and the season is hanging in the balance if there is no resolution on the horizon.

This is an issue that has run its course in the public sphere, and fans are growing increasingly disinterested in these negotiations.

David Stern and Adam Silver have claimed that they're done negotiating, and with the league's "reset" proposal looming and ready to smack the players in the face, this could be as good as it gets.

With a mutual opt-out clause available in the current proposal after six seasons, this may be a fight that's best delved into in the future.

The only thing that is clear is that the players will discuss everything available to them at this juncture.

The players are between a rock and a hard place, and there really aren't any attractive alternatives available.