NBA contract talks

Nothing really new in the story other than Antonio Davis chirping about trust. It does mention that there will be more intensive negotiations durring All-Star weekend. I'm interested in hearing what happens then.

From the Houston Chronicle

"One of the primary goals of the players is to stop having such a substantial chunk of their paychecks withheld, while the owners are seeking further control over payroll costs. Among the items on the league's wish list is a reduction in the maximum length of contracts from seven years to four, an increase in the minimum age for draft eligibility from 18 to 20, and a substantial reduction in the percentage increases available to players who sign long-term deals.
Sources involved in the discussions, speaking on condition of anonymity, said there already have been indications that the owners would be agreeable to altering the way they distribute the escrow tax among themselves, while the players have signaled some flexibility on the issue of maximum contract lengths.
Stern made clear he will not accept a revenue-neutral deal, while Hunter insisted there be more give-and-take than there was during the 1998-99 negotiations. Some of the sessions have been heated, but tempers have always been prone to flare when players and owners are in the same room, and the hard feelings from those arguments have lingered."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3025819
~