NBA Lockout To Commence At Midnight As League And Owners Fail To Reach Agreement, According To Report

The long-dreaded NBA lockout will begin at midnight Friday, according to a report by CBS Sports' Ken Berger. League officials, owners, players and union officials met for a last-ditch bargaining session in New York on Thursday, just hours before the NBA's collective bargaining agreement was scheduled to expire. But the session didn't result in an agreement or, apparently, enough progress to extend the deadline further.

That means that as of midnight Friday, NBA teams will be prohibited from doing business as it relates to players. Free agency, which typically begins July 1, will be delayed indefinitely and trades will be prohibited. If the NFL lockout is any indicator, players will be barred from NBA facilities (such as team-owned practice facilities) as well.

Berger also reported that the NBA players' union does not plan to decertify and file an anti-trust suit against the league, instead choosing to continue negotiations. The NFL's players' union did decertify and sue, but that case is tied up in the courts with no resolution in sight.