NBA commissioner David Stern is aware that several teams are struggling financially, but wasn't very receptive recently when the word 'contraction' was mentioned.

"Tell them to pick the team and owner and have them come see me," Stern said when told that some are suggesting a team (or two) be removed from the league. "That's my way of saying that I don't think there are any teams interested in being contracted out of our league.

"Somebody should ask [the teams] if they're interested in being contracted and bought out. I think I know the answer. That's the last thing they want."

The Kings, Bobcats, Hornets, Grizzles and Pacers are known to be losing money.

NBA commissioner David Stern is cautiously optimistic that he can eventually come to an agreement with the Players Association that will avoid a work stoppage.

The current collective bargaining agreement expires in June 2011, and Stern and union chief Billy Hunter will meet as early as May or June for "substantive" talks.

"Billy and I have agreed that we will sit down after my owners' meeting [in April], with fully fledged committees on both sides, and commence a very, very intense and open dialogue about our business and its model," Stern said this past week.

NBA commissioner David Stern has told the Associated Press that the NBA and union might have to make "some adjustments" to the labor contract when it expires in two years.

Stern, however, disputed predictions made by the likes of David Falk that things could get very extreme to the point that owners could shut down the league for a year or two if the players don't agree to the owners' demands.

"I'd just say the doomsday scenario' is that the NBA is somehow going to be irretrievably damaged by some event or another," Stern said Monday. "The predictions of the demise of the NBA were frequent and profound (over the years), and they've always been wrong."

Last month, the NBA lined up $200 million to distribute to teams needing additional cash.

"We've managed to keep the ship afloat, and I think we will continue to do that this time," Stern said. "I'm not unduly pessimistic. I think when we see where this economy comes out, there may be some adjustments that are necessary at the team level and at the league level. But I think that in our players and in our union, we find a group of realists that are sensitive of the needs of our fans and our sponsors, and I'm optimistic from that perspective that we will be able to ultimately work something out.

"I'm not optimistic or pessimistic about the economy, I'm just assuming the worst and hoping for the best as we seek to stabilize ourselves amid a storm of difficult economic times."