The Mavericks are in advanced trade talks with the Nuggets on Rudy Fernandez.

Denver would send future draft considerations in return.

HoopsHype is reporting that a trade has been agreed upon, though Marc Stein reports that the Nuggets are also interested in Corey Brewer and that the deal could be expanded.

The players have approved the NBA's new collective bargaining agreement, according to two sources.

Owners are finalizing details of their new revenue-sharing plan and a vote is expected shortly.

Via Ken Berger/CBS Sports (via Twitter)

The Knicks are nearing completion on a deal with Tyson Chandler worth $58 million over four seasons.

Update: Multiple sources confim to Newsday's Alan Hahn that Chandler will indeed end up with the Knicks. Both Billups and Turiaf will be shed in order to create room for Chandler.

The Knicks’ pursuit of Chandler intensified after efforts to trade for New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul stalled, sources said.

It looks like Turiaf will be available. Personally, I think he would get injured on the plane ride to Portland, but I know many folks have been calling for Portland to sign him (obviously through a trade given money restrictions).

And I'm often wrong so...

The new CBA is promoting parity already!!!

The quest to save the NBA season is clearly running out of time. The NBA and the players need someone to break the ice, someone who can speak plainly and calmly to both sides and move them out of the bunkers they've built and toward a possible deal.

Thankfully for those who want a basketball season, the ideally qualified person with the right relationships and experience and an impeccable reputation as a deal-maker has come forward to solve that problem. That person is Jim Quinn, who for nearly 20 years served as lead outside counsel for the National Basketball Players Association and who helped broker the deal that ended the 1998-99 lockout.

It seemed like an appropriate FanPost since all NBA players are losing their first paycheck of the season today.

I'm actually shocked it took this long.

The Chinese Basketball Association will restrict contracted NBA players from playing for domestic teams in the event the NBA season is canceled, but still will allow free agents, state media reported Friday.

The CBA said it will welcome free-agent NBA players, but will require them to play an entire season in China, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

From an NBA press release...
---------------------------
The NBA filed two claims today against the National Basketball Players Association: an unfair labor practice charge before the National Labor Relations Board, and a lawsuit in federal district court in New York.

The unfair labor practice charge asserts that the Players Association has failed to bargain in good faith by virtue of its unlawful threats to commence a sham "decertification" and an antitrust lawsuit challenging the NBA's lockout.

The federal lawsuit seeks to establish, among other things, that the NBA's lockout does not violate federal antitrust laws and that if the Players Association's "decertification" were found to be lawful, all existing player contracts would become void and unenforceable.
---------------------------

Billy Hunter, the Executive Director of the NBPA, issued the following statement via press release in response to the legal actions...
---------------------------
"The litigation tactics of the NBA today are just another example of their bad faith bargaining and we will seek the complete dismissal of the actions as they are totally without merit. The NBA Players Association has not made any decision to disclaim its role as the collective bargaining representative of the players and has been engaged in good faith bargaining with the NBA for over two years. We urge the NBA to engage with us at the bargaining table and to use more productively the short time we have left before the 2011-12 season is seriously jeopardized."
---------------------------

ed: bumped to front page

It's still fun to watch. That game named 4th best of the season.

I thought this was interesting considering the strong interest many Blazers' fans have in acquiring Bosh, especially with Marcus Camby forgoing free agency and possibly more money to sign with the Blazers. How important to you is a player's loyalty to a franchise?

Promoted to front page. Vulcan CEO Tod Leiweke resigns his post to become CEO and part owner of the NHL's Tampa Bay Lightning. Thanks to Sean for the link. --Dave

Something besides Chris Paul

'Dre gets a little love from The Oregonian.