Strangely enough, Stern told the truth. Why? Because it was a bluff. The non-negotiability of the deal, the 5 PM deadline, it was all a ruse to get the players to deal down to 50%. I doubt the owners care about luxury tax penalization as much as they care about the millions that’d fall into their pockets if the players accepted a plain old 50-50 split. Hunter probably knew this, and he almost certainly knew what the players, with the majority of them stuck in the mid-level would want from the union — a deal increasing the likelihood of them getting a job on a championship team. Something, that they’ll surely get if they stick by their plan.

Do I believe in a deal today? A bit. Do I believe both Stern and Hunter are doing everything possible to appease their employers in order to get it done? I do.

In the end a blatant lie might turn out to be the truth.