Disturbing tidbit: Owners see lockout as impending?

[indeedproceed]

So I, like many of us on here, are ecstatic about the possible Ray Allen trade for Caron Butler+Jamison. I mean I am pumped. Tuff Juice is my man, that guy is awesome.

But as I a re-reading the rumor on the front page, I came across something disturbing.

Jamison makes more than $15 million in 2011-12, but most owners are discounting those salaries because of an assumption that there will be a labor lockout and some, if not all, of that money will never be paid to the players.

Owners are actually making personnel decisions on the assumption there will be a lockout? That's bigger news than any deadline trade.

[wdleehi]

Yep.  They expect to be able to sweep that money out. 

[Kwhit10]

Yea when I read the rumor, that line struck me disturbing as well.

But from the Bill Simmons/Stern podcast, they've started talks much earlier this time around to try and get things moving faster and have the new CBA ready without a lockout.

[indeedproceed]

But from the Bill Simmons/Stern podcast, they've started talks much earlier this time around to try and get things moving faster and have the new CBA ready without a lockout.

That was my grasp of it as well. That's why this is kind of off putting. If the owners start planning on not having to pay that money out, then I think negotiations will mysteriously "not go well"