ESPN’s Chad Ford is reporting that according to sources, deputy commissioner Russ Granik told members of the NBA's competition committee Monday to prepare for a lockout.  This has been confirmed by four league sources who spoke directly with ESPN.com

"There's going to be a lockout," an NBA executive told Ford. "I don't think there's any way we get a deal done any time soon. We're not seeing eye to eye right now. The truth is that players don't really believe a lockout will hurt them in the summer. It won't be until there's a threat of losing that first paycheck that they'll get serious about negotiating again."

If there is a lockout, it should not last long.  Many believe that even with negotiations currently at a standstill, the 2005-06 season will go on without a hitch.

"I think they'll lock us out," a source with the NBA Players' Association said. "I think David [Stern] has always wanted to lock us out. I think it's a mistake. They act like they don't have anything to lose, but I think they do. The summer league, free agency, NBA players' playing in the qualifying tournament for the World Championships. The bottom line is that the players want to play. They [the players] offered to extend the current deal until a new one could be put into place. They [the owners] want this, and there's nothing we can do to stop them."