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Cuban, who was confrontational and critical of the media for not studying and fully understanding the complexities of the new CBA, claimed he hasn't had any second thoughts after not offering a long-term deal to Chandler, who was widely recognized as the Mavs' emotional leader last season and won the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award with the New York Knicks this season. "Oh, hell no. No, no, no, nope," Cuban said when asked if he has second guessed himself. "Not even a millisecond. Because those that are talking otherwise haven't read the CBA, like I know you guys haven't, and are just talking out their ass without any foundation." ESPN.com

Dallas Mavericks, CBA, Mark Cuban 

The 10-year agreement in which the players gave back approximately $3 billion combined includes a mutual opt-out after six years that is almost certain to be exercised by one or perhaps both sides, meaning the next round of negotiations will take place in 2017. Some players and agents will shrug at this reality, the fact that their top leader appears safe no matter how low his approval rating goes. Yet others are privately resentful, angered by the idea that he still leads the union, and are determined to keep the target on his back. "You'd have to ask the people who supposedly put it on there, whether or not it's still on there or not," Hunter told SI.com. "I don't even think about that. I do my job. I'm under contract. That's it. I don't take it personally. People have a right to their opinions. SI.com

CBA, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

"I try to be pretty insular. I have friends, people that I confide in, people I trust. And that's what I do. I know a lot of this is motivated by other folks, so I don't let it bother me. I couldn't care less." Now that the long nights in hotel conference rooms are over and NBA commissioner David Stern is again a friend rather than a foe, there is plenty that pleases Hunter. "I'm trying to spend as much time as I can with my grandchildren," he said. "I don't know how much more time I got left on this planet, so I don't think that far ahead. I'm hoping that I can get these four [years] in." SI.com

CBA, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Agents 

Those who know Hunter best say the '98 experience had everything to do with how he handled the latest challenge. He ignored most agents and focused on the players, his favorite refrain for reporters to come tell him when his most important constituents -- the players -- were publicly complaining. But aside from a late-November bashing from then-Mavericks guard DeShawn Stevenson, the campaign to push him out was mostly private. "It was [intense], but that's the nature of the beast," Hunter said. "I mean you understand that when you take the job." SI.com

CBA, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Agents 

Stern: I've never found NBA owners to be deferential. I never considered them to be reliant. All that I do is knock myself out to represent their interests the best way I can and sometimes tell them, as part of my job, what they don't like to hear. And I would say that there was a fair amount of that going on as it related to the sea change that we have effectuated with this collective bargaining agreement and the attendant revenue sharing. And I would say that there were probably more unhappy owners in connection with these two arrangements than at any time in my tenure as commissioner. But it doesn't change what I do, which is to tell them what I think is the right thing and then work hard to secure it. Because if I didn't give them my full [opinion], or if I just did what was easy or convenient, then I wouldn't be doing the job. And I've never done that. Orlando Sentinel

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Owners 

Stern: Well, I guess I would say that we eliminated 100 jobs at the league level because we were going into a new reality in an economy where we have, unprecedented in our lifetime, really, unemployment, huge mortgage foreclosures, increased homelessness, poverty and despair and something called The Great Recession. So that put huge pressure on all businesses and particularly the NBA, where we were focusing on losses and enhanced revenue sharing and a season that was disrupted greatly. So it doesn't surprise me that teams were making these business decisions. Orlando Sentinel

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Owners 

Assembling a new collective bargaining agreement isn’t an easy task. It can be very frustrating at times and there were plenty of points during the lockout where talks turned sour. However, looking back on the experience, Evans and Mason felt it was extremely rewarding and worth the time they spent traveling and sitting in various hotel conference rooms. “It was a serious mental grind,” Mason told HOOPSWORLD. “You don’t know what it’s like in that room until you’re there. The guys that are there, David Stern and the owners, are savvy business men and that’s what they do for a living so it was a good learning experience. It was business so obviously there were never any hard feelings. I feel really proud that I was able to represent the guys.” HoopsWorld

Washington Wizards, CBA, Roger Mason, David Stern, Lockout, NBPA, Maurice Evans 

Prior to every game this season, opposing players have gone out of their way to thank Mason and Evans for the work they did throughout the lockout. Not only did they attend nearly all of the meetings in New York, but they also traveled the country to hold regional meetings with players and agents. It was a busy summer for the two veterans, but they’ve received plenty of support. “It’s been awesome,” Evans said. “Every game, we play guys who have just been so grateful and thankful for the work that we all put in during the offseason. I’m sure Derek [Fisher] is getting those same compliments from a lot of the guys.” HoopsWorld

Washington Wizards, CBA, Roger Mason, David Stern, Lockout, NBPA, Maurice Evans 

Evans, 33, and Mason, 31, are hoping that their experiences, both on and off the court, will help them eventually land a front office job once their playing days are behind them. “I would love to share my knowledge and my talents in the front office, and somehow use my ability to read people and evaluate talent,” Evans said. “I want to use the great experiences I have, playing on championship-caliber teams, to really help young guys develop and prosper in this league.” “I love the game,” Mason said. “I want to keep playing for awhile but when I’m done, I’ve got the experience of putting together the CBA. I’m very versed in that now and I’m sure I’ll be doing something that can take advantage at that skill set.” HoopsWorld

Washington Wizards, CBA, Roger Mason, David Stern, Lockout, NBPA, Maurice Evans 

There's nothing in the new collective bargaining agreement that will prevent Kyrie Irving from leaving Cleveland just the way LeBron James did a season ago. There's no franchise tag, no hard salary cap. But Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert -- who said he voted to ratify the deal -- believes there are some provisions which will help small-market teams from losing their free agents. Speaking to the media prior to Sunday's game, Gilbert said he hopes the rash of star players trying to force their way to larger teams is "a blip" rather than a trend. He also thinks the fact the Cavs ownership group was in place when Irving arrived as opposed to coming in after James had played two years in Cleveland could make a difference. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Cavaliers, CBA, Dan Gilbert, Lockout 

"People forget we were not here from the beginning of the previous era, we came in [near the end of season two]," said Gilbert, who purchased the Cavs in 2005. "There were two years without us. We weren't able to establish a foundation and a relationship at the beginning. It's a whole different thing now and I really think it will be very different when this core of guys comes up for a contract. "Who knows exactly who will be here and who won't based on what happens in the NBA. If we keep doing the right things in the organization, we keep making the arena and the franchise a great place for players to play and we start winning, things will take care of themselves." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Cavaliers, CBA, Dan Gilbert, Lockout 

Gilbert said he wasn't "jumping up and down" about the CBA, but thought it was fair and voted in favor of it. Five teams voted against it. He said the portrayal of him as a "hard-line owner" during negotiations was inaccurate as was the characterization of a lot of owners. "There was one thing where [a media outlet was] going owner by owner and their positions," Gilbert said. "You could've taken darts and done a better job. I think sometimes the way the Cavs and our position was portrayed is definitely inaccurate and wrong. I'm glad it's over now and we're moving forward." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Cavaliers, CBA, Dan Gilbert, Lockout 

We're two weeks out of training camp and a week into the season. How much leftover anger from the lockout are you hearing from players and agents? Ken Berger: Haven't heard much. I think everyone (including myself) needed to shift gears from lockout mode to basketball mode. I do think at some point there will be a power struggle for leadership of the NBPA, as the agents who wanted Billy Hunter out have not changed their minds. CBSSports.com

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Agents 

The labor dispute, the second in 14 years to cause the league to forfeit regular season games, made sweeping changes to such things as the league's revenue sharing model, the overall split in total revenues between owners and players, the luxury tax, and player contract lengths. “The way this deal was constructed, everyone knows that teams are going to be tax payers for a given period of time, when it's time to “Go for it,” Stern said. “The teams that are not going to be considered smart are going to be the Knicks when they were a taxpayer and had nothing to show for it, and Portland that had a $57 million tax bill with nothing to show for it. So you're going to have to decide as a team, ‘Do we have the roster that's ready to go for it?'” Oklahoman

CBA, David Stern 

Stern shot down the notion that the tax system, even in the face of rising costs, hurts small markets. “That's ludicrous,” Stern said. “The idea that the luxury tax hurts small markets is ludicrous. It may impact a small market that is a great team and has to raise payroll. But at bottom, it's designed to eliminate the ability of teams to use their economic resources to distort competition. “It does have a bite if you have any team that's well assembled and you want to keep it together. So if you have the Thunder over here and the Heat over there, they're both going to have to deal with luxury tax issues. That's not a small market (issue).” Oklahoman

Miami Heat, Oklahoma City Thunder, CBA, David Stern 

Ethan J. Skolnick: In a bit of a bombshell, @Micky Arison reveals he was one of 5 owners to vote against new CBA, as a "protest vote." Twitter

Miami Heat, CBA, Micky Arison, Lockout 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Arison said, in availability with Heat beat writers, that it had passed b4 it got to him. But he felt deal was punitive to Heat. Twitter

Miami Heat, CBA, Micky Arison, Lockout 

Ethan J. Skolnick: Arison had been pushing to get deal done, but didn't like that Heat was subsidizing bigger actual markets like Clippers and Nets. Twitter

Miami Heat, CBA, Micky Arison, Lockout 

"While I did everything I could behind the scenes and some not-so-behind-the-scenes to get playing by Christmas," Arison said, "when you come down to it, financially, it's important to understand that revenue sharing and the CBA together, it's a tough financial deal for us, particularly the revenue-sharing piece of it, the way it's structured. "For us to have to pay revenue sharing to larger-market teams was disturbing, and we will. And so that was a kind of protest vote on our part." That said, Arison stressed he was appreciative of the efforts that got the league back on the court. "I congratulate them," he said, "it was just tough on our particular franchise." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, CBA, Micky Arison, Lockout 

"Two years from now, when the tax becomes more punitive and then you've got the recidivist tax . . . you've got to get out," Riley said last week. "So you have to plan as much as you can." Arison said the tax remains a concern and he would address that issue closer to when the increased tax comes into play. "While the original intent of the owners was to have a hard cap, which would have basically leveled the playing field between teams," he said, "instead, because of players' refusal to accept that, they just made it extremely expensive. "So now you have to financially deal with how expensive that is and whether you're prepared to do it." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Miami Heat, CBA, Micky Arison, Lockout