HoopsHype.com Rumors

ESPN.com's breakdown of the freshly negotiated "B-list" items added to the deal since Hunter's original term sheet distributed to players on Nov. 26, along with several significant changes from the previous collective bargaining agreement, follows here: Drug testing: The following rules are being implemented, per Hunter's memo: • Beginning in 2012-13, players can be tested during the offseason for steroids and performance-enhancing drugs only. Offseason drug testing was prohibited under the previous CBA. ESPN.com

CBA, Lockout, Billy Hunter, NBPA 

Brian Mahoney: Talk about nearly going to buzzer: All points of CBA finally agreed to late this morning. Players started voting last night. Owners later. Twitter

CBA, Lockout, NBPA, Owners 

The second-longest labor crisis in N.B.A. history is expected to reach its conclusion Thursday afternoon, with a vote to adopt a new collective bargaining agreement. N.B.A. owners are meeting at 2 p.m. at a Manhattan hotel to review the deal, which transfers $300 million a year from the players to the league and places new restrictions on contracts and payrolls. Although some owners wanted more concessions, ratification is expected. New York Times

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

This summer and fall, I spent 156 hours in some of New York’s finest hotels. I did not sleep, or shower, or earn rewards points. I was not, in the vernacular of the service industry, a “guest.” At times, I felt more like a hostage, subsisting on a diet of stale pizza, trail mix and anonymous sources. To be a reporter covering the N.B.A. lockout was to enter a parallel universe, where normalcy was suspended, truth was pliable and time had no meaning. Absurdity reigned. New York Times

Media, CBA, Lockout, New York 

The fans helped keep us sane — along with reruns of “Seinfeld” streaming on the touchpad screens of Ken Berger of CBSSports.com and Alan Hahn of Newsday. The fans kept us fed, too. A network of generous bloggers, coordinated by the salary-cap savant Larry Coon — out of pity or support — regularly sent us stacks of pizza. Marc Cornstein, a New York-based player agent, sent two massive deli platters (thus inspiring a new sandwich title, the Cornstein on rye). The Brooklyn-bound Nets also sent pizza one afternoon, to the chagrin of the Waldorf security staff, which harrumphed at the stack of cardboard boxes in their pristine lobby. (That lobby was routinely chilled to what felt like 55 degrees, which at least helped keep us awake.) New York Times

Media, CBA, Lockout, New York 

The hotels were chosen, often at the last minute, based on the availability of conference rooms. N.B.A. officials had a particular affinity for the Lowell, which had a tiny lobby, forcing us to wait outside. Passers-by, many of them walking tiny dogs, often asked if we were waiting for someone famous. No, we told them, just David Stern. New York Times

Media, CBA, David Stern, Lockout, New York 

Jeff Zillgitt: International player cap buyout will increase $25K each season, going from $500K to $525K in first year of new CBA. Twitter

CBA, Lockout 

Ken Berger: Also, player compensation increased for team promotional appearances and All-Star events. Twitter

CBA, Lockout 

Nobody gives up power or money without a fight, and the instinct to argue, bicker, mistrust and throw tantrums was not cured when the two sides finally reached an agreement to save the season 11 days ago. Those instincts were still sharp Wednesday as players convened on a conference call -- the second such call in as many days, sources said -- to explain the deal points that have been finalized since negotiators reached a tentative agreement in the early morning hours of Nov. 26. The i's are being dotted and t's crossed, and the players are voting electronically on the deal from 6 p.m. ET Wednesday until 4 p.m. ET Thursday -- when the owners' Board of Governors also will vote. CBSSports.com

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

"I don't know what it was all for," said one Eastern Conference general manager who is disappointed that the new CBA -- and all that was sacrificed to achieve it -- apparently has changed nothing about the game's biggest stars wanting to flock to the glamour teams and the biggest markets. CBSSports.com

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

"None of the system issues, no matter how you spin it, changed dramatically," another team executive said. "In some cases, they got worse. So what really was accomplished?" CBSSports.com

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

"When we look back on this in probably five years -- because the deal can open after six -- I think there's going to be a different attitude," the person said. "I'm pretty sure people are going to say the players came out of this in pretty good shape." CBSSports.com

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

Among the most vocal players questioning the deal in its aftermath were key members of the Boston Celtics: Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, sources said. Pierce is represented by agent Jeff Schwartz, who was among a group of seven agents from six of the most powerful agencies who had unsuccessfully pushed for the players to decertify as early as July. All three play for an owner, Wyc Grousbeck, who was an undisputed hawk on the labor relations committee in pushing for a deal that, among other things, all but eliminated the extend-and-trade provision that landed Garnett in Boston in 2007. CBSSports.com

Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, CBA, Wyc Grousbeck, Lockout, NBPA, Kevin Garnett, Jeff Schwartz 

Players have until 4 p.m. Thursday to vote “yes” or “no” on the deal. In the memo, a copy of which was obtained by SheridanHoops.com, union director Billy Hunter wrote: “Although the players made significant financial concessions, including taking a reduced share of Basketball Related Income, collective salaries will nonetheless increase over the course of the CBA, the players retained important system issues, and achieved gains on non-economic issues. The document goes on to list the terms of the agreement. Among them: _ An expected increase in annual collective salaries and benefits from the current $2.17 billion to more than $3 billion by the end of the 10-year agreement. _ Neutral review of commissioner David Stern’s financial discipline for players’ on-court conduct. _ A minimum of 16 days off for each player during a season (beginning in 2012-13). SheridanHoops

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

_ A new benefits pool funded by BRI that permits players to receive post-career health and welfare benefits. _ Increases in player appearance fees as sponsor events to a minimum of $3,000 ($4,000 if he does more than eight). _ A new optional annuity under which players, beginning in 2012-13, will have the option to directly defer portions of their salary to an annuity plan with favorable interest rates to be paid to the player upon retirement. _ The amount teams can pay toward buying an international player out of his contract is increased by $25,000 each season ($525,000 in year 1 of the CBA, $550,000 in year 2, etc.), and the rule now also applies to American players who are playing overseas. _ Players will receive 66/82nds of their salaries for the 2011-12 season. _ Players can receive up to 50 percent of their salary as an advance prior to Oct. 1. SheridanHoops

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

Chris Mannix: Player per diem will be $120 a day, per @soshnick. Two quick per diem stories... Twitter

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

Chris Mannix: Chuck Daly once demanded in his contract his per diem be $1 more per day than Pat Riley. Twitter

Miami Heat, CBA, Pat Riley, Lockout, NBPA, Chuck Daly 

Chris Mannix: And Gilbert Arenas used to ask for his per diem in advance before road trips, then eat free food, including ball kids pizza, before games Twitter

Gilbert Arenas, CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

Ken Berger: Negotiators have just about "closed the deal" on B-list issues as players prepare to begin electronic voting today, source tells @CBSSports. Twitter

CBA, Lockout, NBPA 

Ken Berger: Players will begin electronic voting at 4 p.m. ET today and conclude at 6 p.m. Thursday. Owners will vote Thursday as well. Twitter

CBA, Lockout, NBPA