There is no agreement and there won't be, at least until January. At the beginning of 2012 we will see, but the hypothesis that this year millions of US fans and not only will have to give up the NBA championship and the US economy to a market worth several billion dollars cannot be ruled out.
In short, the clash between clubs and players concerns the percentage of total revenue from TV rights that belongs to the parties. To date, players receive 57% and company owners the remaining 43%. The entry of new owners into the NBA has brought about a desire for change and the clubs are now demanding a turnover in the division of revenues, they want 57%. It is obvious that the players did not like this proposal and with none of the parties willing to take a step back, the result is that nobody signs the collective agreement and 29 clubs out of 29 saw no other solution than the "lockout", i.e. the championship suspension.
The European basketball clubs are scrutinizing the developments of the story very carefully. The hope of many teams and many fans is that a definitive blockage of the US championship this season will lead many NBA stars to land in Europe for the duration of the lockout. The ideas and dreams of clubs and fans are numerous, there is already something concrete and many have expressed their views on this situation.
Dan Peterson, former coach of Armani Jeans Milano, seems to have clear ideas: “The parties are very distant. In 1999 players and owners reached an agreement in January. I think that's the deadline, if no solutions are found by January and the NBA remains closed for the whole season, there may be a migration to Europe in January. In that case, some top US players could really arrive in Italy".
The president of the Italian Basketball Federation, Dino Meneghin, seems more convinced of a short-term solution, saying: "I don't think however that the lockout will lead to the cancellation of the entire season, a solution will be reached within a few months". Which he then added, “If with the strike we will be able to see some big names in Europe? I really don't know, it all depends on the contractual situation of the individual players."
In fact, it is commonly thought that a player with a good contract in the United States would hardly come to Europe where the contracts in the category are much lower. There is also the dilemma of insurance. European companies would hardly be willing to provide the high guarantees that NBA teams can afford. Consequently, any injuries in Europe would lead to many problems for the player on his return to the United States.
Federico Buffa, a great American basketball expert and Sky commentator, is of a similar opinion, believing that the lockout is inevitable due to the distance between the parties but is confident that within a few months the companies and players will find an agreement.
However, something is already moving between skeptics and critics. DaJuan Summers, winger of the Detroit Pistons, has signed a contract with the Italian champions of Siena, the former NBA Andersen will also join the team coached by Pianegiani. The club thus reinforces its roster already full of quality.
Also thanks to the lockout, Donatan Motiejunas could make his return to Italy, whom Benetton Treviso had lost after his call to the draft (chosen by Minnesota with number 20), but who could now win back if the lockout of the NBA championship materializes .
Among the various rumors that are characterizing this summer, there are also those who hope that this situation will push Kobe Bryant to come to Italy. The Los Angeles Lakers star had already declared some time ago that he was attracted by the idea of playing in Milan, but watch out for competition from Besiktas.
In the rest of Europe, the other companies are certainly not standing idly by. There is talk of a very rich offer from Real Madrid to bring Rudy Fernandez to the Spanish capital, who however seems to have refused. Probable, however, a return to France for Nicolas Batum, we would speak of Nancy.
News that made the whole environment jump is Deron Williams who accepted the offer of Besiktas, the Turkish club immediately took advantage of the lockout, winning the point guard, star of the New Jersey Nets. This was announced by coach Ergin Ataman.
There is also talk of former great stars such as Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady but the NBA players interested in coming to Europe could increase day by day until the NBA championship reopens. Above all, the so-called "drafted players" should be kept an eye on, i.e. the young players selected this year by the NBA teams who, due to the lockout, see their debut in the US top division increasingly distant.
