NBA sides to meet Wednesday

An unexpected negotiating session has been called for Wednesday in New York, raising new hope for a resolution to the NBA lockout, a league source told SI.com.

The bargaining session with the union was scheduled following a conference Tuesday of owners and management executives. Given the sudden timing of this new meeting, it is logical to assume that the owners have expressed a willingness to negotiate without demanding that the players accept a 50-50 split of revenues. The players referred to the owners' insistence on a 50-50 split as an "ultimatum" that caused last week's mediated sessions to break up bitterly.

The NBA has not yet canceled games beyond the first two weeks of the season, which can be viewed as another sign of hope that these talks may yield progress.