Billy Hunter is owed $10.5 million on a contract that runs through 2016 and he told the New York Times that he expects to be paid in full if he is fired as executive director of the NBPA.

“I intend to exercise all my options, as of this moment,” Hunter said in his first interview since the Jan. 17 release of an independent audit that criticizes his business and hiring practices.

Hunter said that the union was $5 million in debt when he took over and now has $80 million in reserves.

The players are expected to decide Hunter’s fate Feb. 16, at the union’s annual meeting during All-Star weekend. It is not yet clear if the players will allow Fisher to address the membership.

“I assume that between now and then that Derek will be doing everything he can to stack the deck,” Hunter said, referring to the coming union meeting, “so that they have the appropriate players in place to vote according to their request or plan.”