HoopsHype.com Rumors

Justin Rogers: Lockout over? Dave Checketts is on ESPN 700 saying it's done. 10-year deal with 50/50 BRI split. Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

Justin Rogers: Checketts now backtracking in the same interview. Now saying he's unclear based on new information during same interview. Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

Jody Genessy: NBA lockout over? According to @espn700bill, ex-Knicks/Jazz president Dave Checketts' source has told him "he expects a deal is done." Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

David Aldridge: I will be happy if Dave Checketts is right. He is very close to Stern. But I don't have that information yet. Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

League sources told The Salt Lake Tribune on Wednesday they were cautiously optimistic about the latest meeting between sides. One high-ranking source said a deal to end the lockout appeared to be in sight for the first time since the work stoppage began July 1, as the National Basketball Players Association appeared to have realized this was likely its best chance to end a damaging 133-day lockout that has already resulted in missed games and lost revenue. Salt Lake Tribune

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

Zach Lowe: Source in the room on Checketts: "100 percent false." Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

Kate Fagan: Source briefed on talks says this about having reached a deal: "Not yet, we have to cross T's and dot I's. Right there though."#NBA lockout Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

Janis Carr: Buzz kill @Ken Berger Person in the room assures me that no agreement has been reached. They're about to hit 5-hour mark here in New York. Twitter

CBA, David Stern, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA, Dave Checketts 

But Checketts wouldn't be clear to do anything in the NBA, according to sources, until he finalizes the sale of the Blues, which he bought in 2006. Checketts put the Blues on the market last April. He said earlier this month that interest in the team from potential buyers has increased in the last few weeks, and told reporters in St. Louis that he expected the Blues, valued at $165 million last year by Forbes magazine, to be sold by the start of the next NHL season. NBA.com

Dave Checketts 

Vincent Goodwill: Sources also say national media overplayed Dave Checketts' role in the search as well #Pistons Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Joe Dumars, Lawrence Frank, Tom Gores, Dave Checketts 

Ex-Garden president Dave Checketts has been serving as a consultant to new Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores and may have played a role in helping Patrick Ewing secure an interview for the Pistons' head coaching job. Checketts has been advising Gores since the Michigan-born billionaire started his pursuit of the Pistons last fall. He is expected to continue in his role until sometime next month. New York Daily News

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Patrick Ewing, Tom Gores, Dave Checketts 

Former New York Knicks president Dave Checketts is serving as a basketball consultant to new Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, according to sources close to the situation. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Tom Gores, Dave Checketts 

The news of Checketts' involvement coincides with former Knicks great Patrick Ewing's emergence late last week as a candidate for the Pistons' coaching vacancy. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars continues to serve as Detroit's lead basketball decision-maker, with Gores announcing when he officially took control of the franchise earlier this month that "we're going to lean on [Dumars] pretty heavily." ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Patrick Ewing, Tom Gores, Dave Checketts 

Yet sources said that Gores is also taking a level of input from Checketts, who headed up New York's management structure when the Knicks were built around Ewing. NBA.com reported Friday that the Pistons had expanded their coach search to include Ewing, who currently serves as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic. It was not immediately known if the Pistons plan to add more candidates to their search, but Ewing has joined former NBA head coaches Mike Woodson and Lawrence Frank and current NBA assistants Kelvin Sampson (Milwaukee) and Bill Laimbeer (Minnesota) on Detroit's list of potential replacements for John Kuester. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Mike Woodson, Coaching, Patrick Ewing, Kelvin Sampson, Tom Gores, Bill Laimbeer, Dave Checketts 

Laimbeer, who battled Ewing for years as the Pistons' fixture in the middle in their "Bad Boys" era, interviewed for the Detroit job last Wednesday. His chances of landing the position were initially described as remote given that the Pistons, according to NBA coaching sources, were said to be seeking a replacement for Kuester with head coaching experience. ESPN.com

Detroit Pistons, Coaching, Patrick Ewing, Tom Gores, Bill Laimbeer, Dave Checketts 

Vincent Goodwill: Checketts expected to serve in role as consultant until July. To my understanding, Dumars not affected by this #Pistons Twitter

Detroit Pistons, Joe Dumars, Tom Gores, Dave Checketts