USA - Deadline passes but lockout talks to resume Thursday

NEW YORK (NBA) - Team owners and players have yet to strike a deal to end the NBA lockout but they have agreed to continue negotiating.

League commissioner David Stern had warned the players union they must accept the owners' latest offer by 5pm Wednesday in New York, a proposal that would give the players between 49 and 51% of Basketball Related Income (BRI).

Players appear amenable to a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) which effectively has a 50-50 split of BRI, but they are pushing for changes in the proposed structure of a salary cap.

The deadline passed, but the offer has thus far not been taken off the table with talks between the sides to resume Thursday.

"I would not read into this optimism or pessimism," Stern said.

"We're not failing. We're not succeeding. We're just there."

The president of the players union, Los Angeles Lakers guard Derek Fisher, said: "We can't say there was significant progress today.

"We'll be back tomorrow ... and we'll see if we can continue to make the efforts at least to finish this out."

A 50-50 split in BRI would be a significant drop for the players, who received 57% under the old CBA.

Owners, however, had been pushing for the players to receive 47% of BRI.

There have been no announced developments, meanwhile, on the possible decertification of the players union (NBPA).

The lockout has been in place since July 1, following the expiration of the old CBA, and has led to a cancellation of all pre-season and November games.

FIBA