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NBA Lockout Talks Resume, Mid-Level Might Be Spared


MIAMI—It was supposed to start again Tuesday night at AmericanAirlines Arena, the Miami Heat’s scheduled exhibition opener against the Orlando Magic, the Big 3 moving on to Round 2 of their association.

Instead, the return of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and an entire league remains on hold, with lockout negotiations continuing Monday in New York.

On a day NBA Commissioner David Stern previously said he would need an agreement to avoid cancellation of the first two weeks of the regular season, Stern, his aides and various union officials appeared to be chipping away at their differences.

While the overall split of basketball-related income ultimately will decide whether the lockout is lifted, Monday’s initial thrust appeared to be on systemic issues, similar to the discussions during Sunday’s five-hour negotiations in New York.

NBA.com, the league’s official website, reported at mid-day that the league was moving closer to retaining the mid-level exception, a primary resource utilized by teams operating above the salary cap, such as the Heat, to add supporting talent.

But while the previous mid-level exception started in excess of $5.5 million and could be utilized for as many as five seasons, adding up to a contract in the $35 million range, word earlier in these lockout negotiations was the new mid-level would start at closer to $3 million in the first year, maxing out at about $10 million over three years.

The Heat have had moderate success with mid-level talent over the years, including power forward Udonis Haslem. Ironically, Haslem posted Monday on his just-created Twitter account that he has been cleared for a full return from last November’s foot surgery. Haslem played through the injury during the playoff run to the NBA Finals, but then required a follow-up procedure in the offseason.

When Haslem, James, Wade and Bosh get back to the practice court at AmericanAirlines Arena remained muddled as Monday’s negotiations continued.

The NBA already had postponed the Oct. 3 start of training camps and issued two rounds of cancellations that ultimately wiped out the Heat’s entire eight-game preseason schedule.

As with Sunday’s lockout talks, Monday’s session includes a small group of key negotiators. Neither Heat owner Micky Arison nor Heat free-agent forward James Jones, secretary-treasurer of the National Basketball Players Association, are reported in attendance.

“A breakthrough is possible at any time,” Jones said over the weekend. “That’s what we’re going for.”

In a show of union solidarity, union members posted a #standunited hash tag on their Twitter accounts Monday, with James, Wade, Haslem and Mario Chalmers among Heat players offering such entries.

The Heat are scheduled to open the regular season Nov. 2 against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Should the first two weeks of the regular season be cancelled, it would cost the Heat six games, including four scheduled for AmericanAirlines Arena.

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NBA Lockout Talks Resume, Mid-Level Might Be Spared