LeBron 'very optimistic' NBA, NBPA will come to agreement, avoid lockout

The players union vice president believes a new CBA is on the horizon

In the spirit of cooperation, it seems like both the players and the NBA want to avoid a lockout from happening again. Adam Silver believes that a new collective bargaining agreement will become finalized very soon, and LeBron James, the players union vice president, agrees with the commissioner.

Just like Silver, James is optimistic about the NPBA and the NBA coming to an agreement about a new CBA before the Dec. 15 deadline.

From Cleveland.com's Joe Vardon:

"I think the best thing about it, we started the conversation a long time ago," James said Monday. "We're very optimistic on both sides, from the players' association to the owners, to (NBA commissioner) Adam Silver that we can get something done, and I think we can get something done.

"And I think it all started because we started the conversations early, ways we could better our league."

...

'I'm not here to talk about specifics, what the owners have asked for, what we've asked for," James said. "The most important thing is that our game is as big as it's ever been. And we want to continue that, and a stoppage of play will not continue that.

"We want to continue to build the brand and make the game as big as it can, where if there's certain people that can't watch it we want them to have an opportunity to watch it in different countries. So, that's what's most important."

As James points out, a lockout that prevents the 2017-2018 season from starting on time won't be good for both the players or the owners, especially since the league is doing extremely well financially right now.

When exactly a new CBA will be agreed upon is still unknown, but both sides are not saying anything acrimonious like in years past. And if James, whose words carry a lot of weight due to his star power, is optimistic then it is only a matter of time before the players union and the owners come to an agreement.