David Stern, NBA Players Association Head Billy Hunter Negotiating New Collective Bargaining Agreement, According To Report

In what can only be seen as a good sign in the attempt to prevent an NBA lockout this summer, commissioner David Stern and NBA Players Association head Billy Hunter have been meeting and negotiating a new Collective Bargaining Agreement, reports ESPN.com's Henry Abbott. This is a significant development because the last two labor disputes in 1999 and 2005 were only solved when the two men dealt with each other directly.

Abbott reports that the two men met with staffers in Chicago last week and will meet again in New York this coming weekend. There is obviously no guarantee of an agreement, and the two men have met before with no tangible results before, but it's an ongoing sign that the situation may not be as dire as it first seemed.

This is the second sign of tangible progress. Last week, the owners submitted a new proposal, though it was criticized by the players as being too similar to the previous one. The current CBA expires on June 30.