Fearing a Lockout, Players Saving Their Money

Players know that paychecks might not be a common sight following next season, so guys like Jason Maxiell are saving their loot. Sayeth the Detroit News: “If you’re an NBA fan, brace for a lockout after next season. The players are already doing just that. Billy Hunter, director of the NBA Players’ Association, was at the Pistons’ practice facility Wednesday, updating players on the status of negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires after the 2010-11 season. ‘The players are concerned there may be a work stoppage,’ Hunter said. ‘That’s the last thing they want to see. There may be teams that are struggling in smaller markets. It may be something they can’t recover from.’ Jason Maxiell, the Pistons’ player representative, said players are beginning to take precautions with a lockout looming. ‘Mainly save your funds, knowing it could be like 1998 (the last NBA lockout),’ Maxiell said. ‘It was tough for (the players) then, and it could be tough for us. As a player you have to be prepared for it.”‘