James Jones gets realistic about lockout talks: NBA Update
Miami Heat’s run in the previous season ended barely a month ago, but its 30 year old James Jones has been back in the gym in order to get in shape before the next season.
However, at this point in time there is no certainty regarding the next season, whether it will begin in October or in November or may be the whole season wipes out because of the dispute between the franchise owners and players
union.
Still James and other players are looking to stay fit, so no matter whenever the labour strike gets over they will be ready to face the music. The Heat forward shared his views, while he was attending a summer camp which is operated
by Florida's Department of Children and Families on Thursday.
Jones said, "Typically right now guys would be back in the gym preparing for next year, and that's not a possibility because the owners decided that they didn't want us there. It's definitely real, and we're so far apart that it's
tough to really see anything besides today. And today they're unrelenting, and they don't want us there. So until they decide they want to engage us, we'll be locked out. And it's tough because we're basketball players and we want to play. And the fans, I'm
sure, want to watch us play."
Jones joined Miami back in 2008, where he signed a five year contract worth $23.2 million. The first two years of the pact were guaranteed, but the last three kept as optional for both the Heat and Jones. And since Jones entered
into his third year of the contract, he exercised his rights and became a free agent.
This has put him in a double jeopardy, as the league locked-out the players on July 1, on the expiry of the previous Collective Bargaining Agreement. Since the players and owners remained far apart over the new agreement. The lockout
wiped out the free agency market that had to begin from July 1.
So now the 2011 three-point shootout champion has no contract up his sleeve and like other players Jones is not much interested in playing abroad.
He said, "I'm an NBA player. But at the same time, basketball is my livelihood. If an opportunity presents itself, I'll go. But my priority is getting a deal done."
The 6 ft. 8 had a decent last season with the Heat, as he scored with an average of 5.9 points per game, while exceeded his stats in the postseason by scoring 6.5 points in each game.
Jones also told that he is not frustrated with the current situation, but he believes that in order to make some progress in the bargaining efforts the players should get rational, instead of sticking with one thing, as this wouldn’t
work.
The players have shown flexibility in this regard, but the owners are not in the mode of showing any leniency in this regard, as according to Jones “they want it all”. In spite of that the players are still looking to sort this
issue and they are working on few aspects, but nothing is affirmed yet, as said by Jones.
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