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Liz Mullen: SBD Closing Bell: NBPA Prez Derek Fisher Promises "Unbiased" Elections In E-Mail To Players Twitter @SBJLizMullen

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Josh Robbins: J.J. Redick said the Magic and most NBA players have determined that the union needs to replace Billy Hunter. Twitter @JoshuaBRobbins

Orlando Magic, JJ Redick, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

The U.S. Attorney's office is investigating the authenticity of a National Basketball Players Association contract that authorized future payment of more than $3 million to an investment firm that employed the son of executive director Billy Hunter, sources told Yahoo! Sports. One of the focuses of the probe centers on the legitimacy of the signatures on the union's document with the company, Prim Capital, including those of the NBPA's late general counsel Gary Hall and NBPA director of player services Purvis Short, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Law, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

After issuing a report on its investigation of the union's business practices that included doubts about the legitimacy of an NBPA agreement with Prim, the law firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton and Garrison recently secured several past union agreements to give hand-writing experts a chance to examine Hall's signature, sources said. Those documents were shared with the U.S. Attorney's office to assist in its ongoing probe of the union, sources told Yahoo! Sports. Hall died on May 11, 2011. The agreement called for a "five-year term, stretching from the date of execution, that cannot be cancelled or revoked while in effect for any reason by the NBPA." Under terms of the deal, the NBPA would pay Prim $602,000 per year. "In our opinion, this provision is highly unusual and inconsistent with normal business practices," the Paul-Weiss report said. Yahoo! Sports

Law, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

There is a perception that NBPA president Derek Fisher is consulting with the NBA about his desire to remove Hunter and wants to be executive director. But he tweeted last week that he is not interested in the top job, suggesting that someone with a legal background should take over. Boston Globe

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Also, union sources say some key members of the executive committee — those who were allies of Hunter — were left out of the process to place him on administrative leave. Chris Paul of the Clippers and Celtics player liaison Keyon Dooling were not aware of Fisher’s actions, although they are members of the executive committee. Boston Globe

Chris Paul, Derek Fisher, Keyon Dooling, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

After the Nets' 93-90 win over the Pistons on Wednesday night, he stood in the visitor's tunnel at The Palace and emphatically stated his beliefs. "I think we need wholesale changes all the way around," Stackhouse said. "I think everybody's pointing the finger at Billy, and rightfully so. He's made some wrong moves, but at the same time, we've sat and allowed those moves to be made." Detroit News

Brooklyn Nets, Billy Hunter, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

Stackhouse says Hunter isn't the only one who needs to be shown the door. "Derek has stepped up and has really tried to grab the reins but I think he has to go too," he said. "If you're not aware of everything that's happened on your watch for so long, I think the whole system is flawed." Hunter recently spoke with the New York Times to defend his record of leadership, and Stackhouse said that was expected, while also pointing out the way the game has changed since 1995. "He's talked so much about what he's done," Stackhouse said. "We have shorter salaries, a hard cap. Make sure you take credit for that, too." Detroit News

Brooklyn Nets, Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

"I plan on going to make my point. I won't be surprised if Billy was there, with all he's done he'll try to show his face and act as if business as usual," Stackhouse said. "The same thing with Derek. They can't operate as if business as usual. They've shown their flaws too much to still continue in their positions." Stackhouse wants the current players to be educated about what's happening now, and is even taking a more extreme stance since he clearly believes in wholesale change. He wants the executive committee — which includes superstar Chris Paul — gone too. "The important thing is, it's nothing pressing as far as collective bargaining," said Stackhouse, as the current CBA isn't up for another five years. "We should take this time and figure out the best direction for our union. I don't think the way it is set up now is really what it should be. Everything (should change)." Detroit News

Brooklyn Nets, Billy Hunter, Jerry Stackhouse, NBPA 

Do you think there's any way Billy Hunter survives the season as union executive director? David Falk: I think it's highly unlikely. I don't think it's impossible but it's highly unlikely. I don't think he should survive the season. I think the players need to come together and realize it's time for a change. It's fairly obvious from the report the situation is out of control and it's time for a change. HoopsHype

David Falk, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

David Falk: I've always said that the union has to be very strong. When you're negotiating the terms under which the players are going to share the revenues, I think it's important to have a strong union to understand how to protect the players' rights. And now that we have a 10-year agreement, I think the most important thing is for the players collectively with the league to sit down and be partners in this business now. They have to map out a joint strategy to grow the business. The only way the players are going to make more money down the road is for the league to prosper, so they are essentially partners. That's the way it's always always been, I just don't think Billy [Hunter] ever educated the players, explained to them that the best way to go is to grow the business together with the league. I hope that what's happened is a wake-up call for the players as a group that they need to get more involved. They can't leave to a handful of players to do all the work. There's a lot of work to be done. HoopsHype

David Falk, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

What now? What are the next steps? DF: Before talking about this person or that person, the first thing the players need to do is figure out, in this environment, what is that they need to hire. You've got a very, very long deal with the League, so the first thing to do is figure out what is the skillset of the person that they need to hire to do this job. That's Step 1. Everything else comes after that. I think it's a little different of a skillset than the skillset that was required when Billy was hired because I don't think they'll be doing a lot of collective bargaining. The person they hire needs to be able to sit down with the next commissioner, Adam Silver, and figure out a way to get the revenues in basketball to go from where they are now - from $5 billion roughly to $10 billion. For the players to make more money, we're going to have to figure out a way to significantly grow the revenues. You look at a sport like football, which is so much bigger than basketball in terms of revenues... We need to find a way to grow our sport significantly. That's the next challenge for the union. HoopsHype

David Falk, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Adam Silver 

There have been names thrown around already. There's been a report that Donald Fehr's name has been pushed by some NBA agents as a replacement for Hunter. Are you among those agents supporting Fehr? DF: No, no. These guys are bashing each others' heads in the recruiting, then trying to say everybody's on the same page. I don't think there are too many on the same page. I think they need to slow it down and figure out who they need to hire before they start putting names out there. It's time for a whole fresh approach to figure out what is it that we need to make this union better, stronger. For example: Why is that the basketball players have ceilings on their salaries but they don't have that on football and baseball? Why? The answer is that the union is very weak and allowed that to happen. That's a mistake. The players need to look at the thing a lot more closely and try to understand what it is that they need to go forward before people start arbitrarily throwing names around. I think they need to take their time. HoopsHype

David Falk, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

In a 65-minute interview conducted at the Newark offices of his lawyer, Thomas Ashley, Hunter passionately defended his record and his reputation, and he indicated that he would not leave without a fight. “I intend to exercise all my options, as of this moment,” Hunter said. Hunter is owed $10.5 million on a contract that runs through 2016, and he said he expected to be paid the balance if he is fired. Contrary to the audit — which determined that Hunter’s contract was not properly approved and thus unenforceable — Ashley contended that the contract is binding under Delaware law, where the union is incorporated, setting the stage for a possible legal battle. “They would be required, if they terminated him without cause, to pay him the remainder of his contract and benefits,” Ashley said. New York Times

Billy Hunter, NBPA 

“My client maintains his absolute innocence,” Ashley said, “so to that extent, we are not concerned.” But, he added, “Anytime you’re being investigated by the federal government, there is some cause to think about it.” The audit found no criminal wrongdoing, although it concluded that Hunter had failed in his fiduciary obligations and had put personal and family gain ahead of union interests — judgments that he vehemently protested. “That’s not true,” he said. “Never. Absolutely not true. Absolutely not true.” New York Times

Billy Hunter, NBPA 

The relationship between Hunter and Fisher turned adversarial long ago. It was Fisher who pressed for the audit of business practices last spring, initially over the objections of other executive committee members. In Hunter’s view, the forced leave is the first step toward a termination that he views as almost predetermined. “I assume that between now and then that Derek will be doing everything he can to stack the deck,” Hunter said, referring to the coming union meeting, “so that they have the appropriate players in place to vote according to their request or plan.” New York Times

Derek Fisher, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Although Hunter defended hiring his family members, he said firing them was necessary. “I decided that I didn’t want that to be a distraction.” “Very difficult,” Hunter added, quietly. “But I did what I had to do.” A former federal prosecutor, Hunter is known in N.B.A. circles as a tenacious advocate for player rights and a sometimes-feisty orator. On Wednesday, he was unusually subdued, his spirit sapped by the battle for his career. “It’s had a negative impact on my family,” Hunter said. “It’s been very stressful. And I obviously worry about their health. I worry about the impact it’s had on my wife. I think pretty much my family looks at me, as long as they see me continuing to be strong, then they kind of take solace in that.” New York Times

Billy Hunter, NBPA 

In an attempt to restore its credibility and fortify itself against the owners in future labor negotiations, the search for the next executive director of the National Basketball Players Association will include one of the United States government's top law officials, sources told Yahoo! Sports. As the NBPA prepares for the possibility of the league's players voting the union's current executive director, Billy Hunter, out of office, B. Todd Jones, the acting director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, will be a target should a change be made, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Billy Hunter, NBPA 

The NBPA will use an executive search firm to coordinate the process, sources said. Yahoo! Sports

Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Creating a healthier, more functional N.B.A. players union will require deeper involvement from its members, but especially from its most famous members, according to perhaps the most famous member of all. Kobe Bryant, acknowledging that the union “looks like a mess,” said it was time for the N.B.A.’s stars to take a stronger role as players deliberate the fate of Billy Hunter, the embattled executive director, and the direction of the union. Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star, included himself in that mandate and said it was an issue he had been discussing with Chris Paul, the Los Angeles Clippers guard, since the 2011 lockout. “We might want to grab the bull by its horns, so to speak, and lead the charge a little bit,” Bryant said Tuesday morning. New York Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Chris Paul, Kobe Bryant, Billy Hunter