NBA commissioner David Stern believes that the Nets could have a new owner before the end of the year.

He also believes that he could have his old referees back before the start of the regular season next week.

"I'm hopeful with respect to both and optimistic with respect to both," Stern told the Associated Press on Thursday.

Mikhail Prokhorov, who has a deal to buy 80 percent of the Nets, had a positive introduction with NBA owners recently, according to Stern.

"The review process is incomplete and the documents are not finalized," Stern said of Prokhorov's bid. "That said, we haven't surfaced anything that has caused us to have a negative opinion of him. We're not finished."