With Kyrie Irving scheduled to lead a conference call with a large number of NBA players to apparently suggest they not return to play in a tense racial climate, a faction of high-profile players are in disagreement with Irving’s assertions, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Several high-profile players have been communicating with others en masse about the financial and practical implications if they don’t play, sources said. If there are no more games, the owners can and will likely activate the force majeure clause and re-open the collective bargaining agreement, and the players would have little leverage with the owners because of how the economy has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.