NBA: Union, not Cuban, proposed eliminating cap

NEW YORK (AP) - The NBA says Mark Cuban proposed a new salary cap exception, not the elimination of the salary cap, during a meeting between owners and players last week.

In a podcast with ESPN.com, players' association executive director Billy Hunter said Cuban, the Dallas Mavericks' owner, proposed what he called a "game changer,'' which would replace the salary cap with a heavy tax for teams that spent to a certain level. Hunter said the players were interested in discussing the idea, but then were told by the owners they wouldn't pursue it.

However, NBA spokesman Mike Bass says Tuesday that it was the union, not Cuban, who proposed the elimination of the cap, an idea he says "was even worse for the NBA than the union's prior proposals.''