Tipping Point - Out Players Looking To Make Progress Tuesday - Locked - Nba

"I wish I was in a position to say when we knew NBA players would be back on the court," Fisher said. "We're just not at that point where we can make those kind of statements. It wouldn't be fair to the players or to the fans to get any false hopes or sentiments up at this point."

Thus the tipping point .

The 2011-12 season is scheduled to open Nov. 1 with the Chicago Bulls at the NBA champion Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Los Angeles Lakers. The runner-up Miami Heat at the New York Knicks highlights the next night.

One person with knowledge of the talks who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly said players and owners were on the verge of significant progress or a breakdown in negotiations.

In the last publicly released proposals, owners set a target of $2 billion in annual player salaries for at least the first six years of the deal, with no pay raise, as basketball revenue increases and they try to restore profits. Players made $2.176 billion in 2010-11, and the NBA says clubs lost $640 million over the last two seasons.

The players' proposal targeted about $14.4 billion in salaries over the next six seasons, leaving a $2.4 billion difference. There is room for the sides to get closer to agreement on this, but the league remains adamant the old economic system is not sustainable in today's market.

One person with knowledge of the situation who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly said players remain opposed to a hard salary cap and drastic pay cuts.

"If our general membership doesn't agree with (the NBA's latest) positions, we can't sign off on those types of deals," Fisher said.

The tipping point does not come in a vacuum, with fans euphoric over the return of college and pro football. The NBA and its players don't want to lose standing in the sports marketplace, especially with a stellar 2011-12 season at hand, following up on last season's compelling story lines, record TV ratings, increases in merchandise sales and steady attendance.