nothing against Jay here, but the jokes almost write themselves, don't they?

it will no longer be rookies vs. sophomores (great change!)

Basically:
1) Assistant coaches still select 18 players (not sure if it's 9 of each still or not, but I assume yes)
2) Barkley and Shaq have an on-air draft (school-yard style).
3) Fratello/Barkley asst coach their team while Shaq/Kerr asst coach the other team.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports reports that the New Orleans Hornets are closing in on a deal to send All-Star point guard Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. The Houston Rockets would be involved as facilitators.
----------------------------
Hornets working to finalize details on 3-team deal to send Chris Paul to Lakers, Pau Gasol to Rockets and Lamar Odom, Kevin Martin, Luis Scola to New Orleans, sources say.

It is likely that the Hornets will receive draft picks as part of a package for Paul, but source says: "Those are still being determined."

Update: A deal has been reached in principle to send Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Lakers, an executive in the three-team talks tells Yahoo! Sports.
----------------------------

Update (6:06 PM): Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the deal is "off."
----------------------------
Trade with Lakers will NOT go through Friday and Chris Paul is expected in Hornets camp, according to sources. It was not immediately clear, sources said, if three-way trade involving Hornets, Lakers and Rockets is merely snagged or in jeopardy. One source close to the three-team Chris Paul trade talks just told ESPN.com: "The deal is off."
----------------------------

Wojnarowski now writes...
----------------------------
NBA commissioner David Stern has killed the New Orleans Hornets’ trade of Chris Paul after several owners complained about the league-owned team dealing the All-Star point guard to the Los Angeles Lakers, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

Some owners pushed Stern to demand the trade be nullified, and the Hornets be made to keep Paul on the roster for the foreseeable future, sources said. A chorus of owners were irate with the belief that the five-month lockout had happened largely to stop big-market teams from leveraging small-market teams for star players pending free agency.

"The deal is off," a source involved in the talks told Y! Sports. "It’s dead."
----------------------------

Sam Amick of SI.com obtained this statement from NBA spokesman Tim Frank: "Not true that owners killed the (3-team) deal. It wasn't even discussed at the Board meeting. League office declined to make the trade for basketball reasons."

The NBA bought back ownership control of the Hornets and has veto power over all personnel moves, although it had not exercised that power until Thursday.

Vote on the NBA's decision to kill the deal here.

ed: text updated, bumped to front page

Chris Broussard of ESPN.com reports that labor negotiations between the NBA and the National Basketball Players Association have broken down again on Friday...
-------------------------------
Talks between the players & owners just ended. Split of BRI is still the issue. Neither side budging. Players still at 52, owners at 50. David Stern will announce cancellation of more games this evening, sources said.
-------------------------------

The NBA announced on Friday that all November games have now been cancelled.
-------------------------------
The NBA announced today that it has canceled all games through November 30 because a new collective bargaining agreement has not been reached with the National Basketball Players Association.

"We share the frustrations of our fans, partners, and those who rely on our game for their livelihoods," NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver said. "We remain committed to reaching an agreement that's fair for both the teams and the players and allows for the long-term growth of our game."
-------------------------------

NBA commissioner David Stern offered this comment.
-------------------------------
"Right now, our games are cancelled through Nov. 30. To the end of the month of November. It's not practical, possible or prudent to have a full [82-game] season now. We held out that joint hope together, but in light of the breakdown of talks there will not be a full NBA season under any circumstances."
-------------------------------

Here's video of Stern's comments.

A report on Monday indicated that Stern's cancellation was coming on Tuesday, but the two sides re-engaged in labor talks, delaying the announcement.

The breakdown comes less than 24 hours after both sides expressed optimism that momentum was building towards an agreement.

ed: edited and bumped to front page

Deron: "Black and red are my favorite colors"

Main items:
* MLE strting about $5 million, max 3 years in length
* New "bonus pool" for young (rookie-scale) players to earn more
* 75% cap amnesty rule
* ~50% BRI split
* Tax % and restrictions remain biggest hurdle

While I understand the move on the part of these players, isn't this a potential union-busting move? Sure, it's great that these dozen or so all stars are going to get a nice payday ($1 million being thrown out), but what does that do for all the young guys and journeman who aren't getting the invite?

At some point, aren't the rank and file going to look at this and say "Screw those guys - I only get a million per season total, and I'm not even getting that - let's take the deal"

At least Stern isn't taking a salary while the lockout endures.

MRI on Marcus Camby's left knee came up negative. He is a game time decision (sore left knee) for Wednesday's game at Sac

Barnes takes 3.6 million for 2 years instead of 7 million for 2. Just like with Blake, they get more for less...

4 years, 38 million. OK, I get why he opted out of 1 year 15 million now. No way he was going to get a 3 year, 23 million deal next summer (or whenever the lockout ended).

What I don't get is why the heck the Spurs do this? Sure, they will save some tax money this year, but do they really want him tying up 10 million in cap space for 3 more season after this? Maybe non-guarantees or team options will explain it - can't wait to see those.

via Chad Ford's twitter

"Stern: We are determined to put into place a revenue sharing system that is "more robust" so "every team can compete on equal footing""

This is music to my ears! As readers of my commented around here well now, I've been beating the drum on revenue sharing for a long time. Everyone gets caught up in players vs. owners and the big money being spent proves the league makes money, but it's always been about the haves and have nots (big market vs. small market). Best way to enable all 30 teams to compete is more revenue sharing - it works fantastically for the NFL. The question is can you get the Buss, Sterling, MSG, Miami, Dallas, Chicago to sign off on it, or do you just get enough of the other owners lined up to override them?

5 years, 80 million. assuming normal 8% raises, his starting price of right around 14 million leaves enough for a full max player...

all over twitter, but she is the first link I have on my feed

Wonder which ESPN "analysts" we will get to watch drool all over the self-proclaimed King?

daldridgetnt

Milwaukee close to re-signing John Salmons for five years, $39M. Story up soon on NBA.com.

the Blazers have explored the possibility of trading Gomes since acquiring him last Thursday. Portland will continue talks today.

the Blazers will now look to Cunningham as a player who can lock down an opponent's top shooting guard and small forward.

The Blazers are targeting two positions during free agency. A sign and trade or a multi-player package deal remain options. But it is more likely Portland will acquire 1-2 players with its MLE and/or trade exception.

Canzano saying he will give some "nuggets" about the GM search.

Updates - his nuggets (paraphrasing)

- Miller leading search, will start in earnest on monday
- targetting "#2's" right now (asst gm)
- David Griffin (Suns) rising to top
- no leader in the clubhouse
- intent on making this a long, thoughtful search
- no one has been picked (from search firm)
- similar to the tact they took filling the Seahawks' GM role
- Nate denied any asst coaches have been hired. Bick and Lynam have been talked to, but not interviewed
- Nate starting the interviews next week. not ready to offer jobs to anyone.
- Demo and Prunty will not be retained. 3 new assts will be hired

on KP firing
- not based on a 1-time event
- buildup of transgressions
- very good scout/evaluator, but GM job is more that that - leading, managing negotiating. reading between the lines, KP took wrong turns in some of those areas, and lose PA's trust
- culmination of months and months of little things. finally Paul had had enough
- Tuesday will be big day for Blazers, especially in regards to Gomes
- battling in weighing if Gomes will be better than anyone they can get with MLE
- figuring out how to get Mills to play on the summer league team.
- Gomes, Mills, or FA for last roster spot
- no Euros will be on summer league team
- Claver worked out for PA and coaches yesterday. wasn't very impressive, but attributed to just getting off the plane. Roy met him.

OKC gets Cook and the 18 for the 32nd.

great time of year to have capspace...

Maggete for Gadzuric and Charlie Bell

Let the games begin...

Any interest, and is he going to be available with the MLE?