Monday deadline daunting with Yom Kippur looming

NBA commissioner David Stern’s deadline of a Monday settlement of the lockout could test the bargaining powers of both sides.

With no talks set for Thursday and the Yom Kippur holiday expected to be observed by negotiators on both sides on Friday and Saturday, there will be little chance to talk over the next several days.

ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard said those factors willto save the Nov. 1 start of the deadline.

Stern announced earlier this week he will cancel the first two weeks of the regular season if there is no agreement in place by Monday.

It’s going to be extremely challenging to hit that mark with the little time that both sides will have for negotiating.

Fisher’s text reportedly implores players to prepare for lockout end

After intensified negotiations last week between NBA commissioner David Stern and the players’ union, another sign could be indicating we are pointing to a settlement of the lockout soon.

The immenently plugged-in Sam Amick of SI.com reported over the weekend that one league source claims that union president Derek Fisher indicating that some progress had been made and imploring them to be physically prepared just in case the season started on time.

And ESPN.com’s Chris Broussard reported that NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver — commonly thought to be the second-most important negotiator for the ownership group behind Stern — with Wasserman Media Group CEO Casey Wasserman.

In addition to being one of the top agencies representing players in the NBA, the Wasserman Media Group relies heavily on an agent who has been known to be more pushy than the rest during a lockout landscape.

Arn Tellem – who represents a league-leading 34 NBA players, including 10 All-Stars — drew the ire of commissioner Stern and NBPA executive director Billy Hunter during the 1998-99 lockout for taking a more extreme position than most of his colleagues.

Tellem hasn’t changed much since then and is said to be a big supporter of decertification.

So if there has been progress made in negotiations, a high-ranking official like Silver checking in with one of the staunchest potential impediments certainly is interesting.