NBA, players union meeting Wednesday

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NBA Commissioner David Stern and union representatives including Lakers guard Derek Fisher are scheduled to attend another bargaining session Wednesday in New York in an effort to end the two-month-old lockout, sources reported Tuesday.

The parties met last week for the second time since the lockout took effect. The players have agreed to accept a smaller percentage of league income but have balked at the league’s proposed $2-billion total salary cap after earning $2.15 billion last season.

The scheduled opening of training camp is the first week of October.

Both sides continued to be reluctant to assess the tone of the talks despite some reports that there was momentum to strike a deal. Stern told reporters after last week’s meeting that there was ‘clearly enough time’ to save regular-season games that are set to begin Nov. 1.

‘I could see it going either way,’ former MVP guard Steve Nash of the Phoenix Suns told the Canadian Press on Tuesday. ‘It looks like right now we probably won’t start on time.

‘Hopefully, as we start to get into the time of year where everyone is missing basketball, we can start to concede on some points that each other are looking for and find a middle ground. That would be the best of both worlds.’

Wednesday’s meeting could spawn follow-up sessions later this week, sources have reported to Associated Press.

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--Lance Pugmire

Twitter.com/latimespugmire

The Associated Press contributed to this report.