High-Tension N.B.A. Talks Resume, but They’re Between Union Officials

The union’s executive board is holding its first in-person meeting since labor talks collapsed last Friday, and its first since reports of a rift in leadership began circulating.

If there are political or philosophical gaps between Derek Fisher, the union’s elected president, and Billy Hunter, its longtime executive director, they will try to close them, in full view of the union’s staff members and the eight other players on the board.

From there, union leaders hope to turn their focus back to their collective bargaining strategy, and toward re-engaging the N.B.A. at the bargaining table. There is hope that talks could resume Friday or Saturday.

But first, the union must address an internecine battle that for five days has overshadowed the lockout itself and threatened to derail the bargaining process. Fisher and Hunter are said to be at odds, and one published report said Fisher was trying to cut a secret deal with the N.B.A.

Fisher and Hunter have spent the week issuing statements and letters affirming their unity, while trying to calm a 430-person constituency that is antsy over the imminent loss of paychecks.

The damage-control efforts have supplanted any attempt to break the 125-day stalemate with the league, which has already canceled a month of games. That is why players, agents and even N.B.A. officials are eager to see what message emerges from the union Thursday.

“I think there will be a lot of clarity coming out of the meeting on Thursday,” said one person aligned with the players, who has communicated with both league and union officials this week. The first agenda item, the person said, is “to hash out the Derek Fisher situation.”

Two people with ties to the union said the issue was mostly resolved in a Tuesday conference call involving Fisher, Hunter and the board. But one person said it was important for everyone to speak face to face before the matter is put behind them.

The controversy began Saturday, when FoxSports.com, citing an anonymous source, reported that Fisher was trying to broker a deal with Commissioner David Stern without the union’s knowledge. According to the report, Fisher “promised” the union would agree to the N.B.A.’s proposed 50-50 split of revenues. Hunter has vowed not to accept less than 52.5 percent, a stance that contributed to the breakdown in talks last week.

Fisher reaffirmed his loyalty to the union in a letter to players. He also issued a statement decrying the FoxSports.com article — which accused him of making deals for personal gain — as “disgusting, defamatory and a flat-out lie.” Hunter restated his support for Fisher in a letter to players.

Although a fractured union might seem advantageous to the N.B.A., league officials privately are alarmed; there is little hope for a labor deal if union leaders have conflicting agendas.

Until now, the relationship between Hunter and Fisher has generally been solid, according to people who have worked with them. But there are some tensions.

According to a person with ties to both men, Fisher believes that a 50-50 deal should at least be considered, if it would salvage more of the season. Hunter is more adamant about holding firm, believing the long-term gain justifies the short-term losses.

In general, Fisher has assumed a far more hands-on role than the typical player-president — issuing memos, scheduling meetings and becoming the union’s primary face and voice during the lockout. Hunter, who does not relish the role of spokesman, has welcomed and even encouraged Fisher to take the lead at news conferences.

But Hunter has sometimes bristled at Fisher’s assertiveness in setting the agenda — sometimes without Hunter’s input — according to people who have worked with them.

“It just created a little sore spot,” one person said.

The picture is also muddled at the bargaining table, where Jeffrey Kessler, the union’s outside counsel, serves as the lead negotiator. According to people involved in the talks, Kessler does 80 percent of the speaking, while Hunter, who has a reputation for not being detail-oriented, takes a secondary role.

One person involved on the N.B.A.’s side said the negotiations had been difficult, in part, because it was unclear who was in charge of the union.

The intensity, stress and protracted nature of the labor talks have inflamed nerves and heightened everyone’s concern about the outcome. The union has already made huge concessions, and no one wants to be blamed for a bad deal.

The stakes are higher for Hunter, who earns $2.5 million a year as executive director, than for Fisher, whose role is temporary. This is also probably Hunter’s last labor deal; he turns 69 on Saturday.

While union leaders try to repair the cracks, antsy players are sending out warning flares on Twitter.

“Take the 51% man and let’s play,” Glen Davis, the Boston Celtics forward, wrote Wednesday.

Cleveland’s Samardo Samuels wrote last Friday that a 50-50 deal would be fine. “It’s church money away,” Samuels wrote.

Impatience is the most prominent theme, however. As Terrence Williams, a Houston Rockets guard, wrote on Wednesday, “Hey @TheNBPA Let’s play BALL enough with the stare off.”