Associated Press
From around the NBA…
NEW YORK ó The NBA and its playersí association will meet next month during the All-Star break as they try to make progress on a new collective bargaining agreement.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Thursday that the sides will have a negotiating session during the Feb. 18-20 weekend in Los Angeles.
RAPTORS BUYOUT STOJAKOVIC
TORONTO ó The Toronto Raptors have completed a buyout of Peja Stojakovicís contract, making the former All-star forward a free agent.
Stojakovic was acquired from New Orleans in November and played just two games for the Raptors before being sidelined with a knee injury.
The Raptors had acknowledged after the deal that they would consider a buyout if they were unable to trade him. Stojakovic had been earning $15 million in the final year of a five-year contract.
General manager Bryan Colangelo said in a statement Thursday that Stojakovic did not fit into the teamís plan of ědeveloping our young core talent.î
CAMBY HAS SURGERY
PORTLAND, Ore. ó Portland Trail Blazers center Marcus Camby had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee and will be sidelined about three weeks.
Camby was averaging 5.9 points and 11.3 rebounds in 39 games this season, all starts. The 6-foot-11 center is in his 15th season in the NBA.
Camby said via Twitter that the surgery Thursday to repair a meniscus tear was successful.
PLAYERS ASSOCIATION TO MEET NEXT MONTH
NEW YORK ó The NBA and its playersí association will meet next month during the All-Star break as they try to make progress on a new collective bargaining agreement.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank said Thursday that the sides will have a negotiating session during the Feb. 18-20 weekend in Los Angeles.
Deputy commissioner Adam Silver said last week while visiting Houston that no meeting had been scheduled, and the hectic All-Star weekend might not be conducive to serious negotiations. But he added the owners would be open to sitting down if the players wanted to, and something was set up within the last day.
ěThe union requested the meeting and was always interested in having a meeting at All-Star when the players will be available,î union spokesman Dan Wasserman said.
The CBA expires June 30, and though leadership from the sides have continued to meet, there has been little progress toward a deal, creating fears of a work stoppage.
A meeting on All-Star weekend gives the leagueís superstars the option to join the players who make up the unionís negotiating committee. LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Garnett were among those who showed up last year in Dallas, when the players rejected the ownersí initial proposal.
The league hasnít submitted another one, with Silver saying last week that was because ěour position hasnít changed.î With the NBA projecting losses of about $350 million this season, Commissioner David Stern said in October that owners want to reduce player salary costs by about $750 to $800 million annually.
The Associated Press
01/20/11 13:08