NBA Lockout: Billy Hunter Says That Despite David Stern’s Warning, He Expects Owners’ Deal To Remain On Table

David Stern has warned that if players do not accept the owners’ current NBA lockout proposal -- which includes a 50-50 revenue split and a few salary cap system constraints -- that on Thursday, the offer will get much, much worse. In a press conference after three dozen players met in New York on Tuesday, union director Billy Hunter essentially called Stern’s bluff, saying that he expects the owners to remain willing to cut a deal with a 50-50 revenue split even if there’s no resolution on Wednesday.

Stern’s deadline, which Hunter called “arbitrary,” is at 5 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Hunter told reporters that he plans to call Stern to request a meeting between the two on Wednesday. Hunter and Stern reached the last two collective bargaining deals in one-on-one meetings in 1999 and 2005. (The 1999 deal come midway into a scheduled season. The 2005 deal came hours before a lockout began.)