The NFL might be in for some big changes, and with such sensitive material, officials have been remaining tight-lipped about the CBA negotiations that might heed them. But

USA today got the inside scoop, thanks to a little promise of anonymity, on the upcoming Friday conference between the NFL Players Association, its executive committee members and 32 player reps who will be voting on newly proposed terms.

The Deadline

In order to avoid a work stoppage, the new CBA must be in place before the start of the 2021 season – but even though it’s in the best interest of the players and thus the owners, there’s no official deadline set. So far, both sides are optimistic that agreements will soon be made on a number of the key aspects of the new CBA. And some changes have already been agreed upon.

Here are the highlights.

An Additional Season Game

There will now be 17 games per season, and the preseason is going to be shortened.

The extra game means that players are going to see raises in their contracts and yearly salaries – overall, the amount that they anticipate will be spent on players now is an additional $5 billion over the next 10 years.

The players’ portion of the revenue pie is going to jump by roughly 1.5 percent which, coupled with projected revenue growth, will translate to an increase of around $5 billion more for players over the life of the new 10-year CBA. The preseason will also be shortened as a result. But all of this is expected to be implemented for the 2021 season.

What could happen sooner?

The 5th-year option in contracts is likely to become a guarantee for signing players. Player benefit packages are in the works to becoming much better – exceeding those of any other sports league. Performance-based payouts are also expected to increase.

All of these changes could potentially be in the works for the 2020 season.

What sticking points still need more work?

The players are still fighting for additional increases to minimum salaries, more physical contact restrictions, and additional rest days built into the training camp schedules – especially with so much light being shed on the risks of wear and tear on the body under the current regulations. Lastly, the players want to get rid of the funding rule, which the owners are fighting – but are talking about making more concessions, which teams have used to try to avoid offering significant future guarantees. The owners do not want to eliminate the rule, but might make concessions.

Stay tuned – Friday could be big.

Finding that person who you can share a laugh with and who is there for you in your worst moments is hard. It makes it even harder when you are playing competitively with or against them. However, these duos have found their best friends while doing exactly that. These basketball stars are thick as thieves.

This friendship is probably one of the most well-known. It is one shared by two of the biggest names in basketball. These two have such a strong bromance that Wade even gave up some money to make sure he stayed alongside his brother from another mother.

These two take vacations together, share holidays with their families, and are pretty much inseparable.

This relationship goes back before Metta World Peace. In fact, this relationship started between Lamar Odom and Ron Artest (who now goes by Metta World Peace) when they played for the Riverside Church back in NYC.

These two, along with fellow NBA player, Elton Brand, formed a trio that would make this team one of the best in the city. The two of them, along with Brand, would eventually end up on the 2010 Lakers championship team.

Both of these young men have a solid work ethic and come from North Carolina, which is a perfect base for a dynamic friendship. The friendship is so tight that Bazemore was even able to woo Curry into being a brand ambassador for Under Armour after Curry’s contract ended with Nike.

You have to be good friends to be able to affect the other’s finances. The two aren’t playing on the same team anymore, but they are still very close friends.

This is a friendship that is born from amazing on-court chemistry. These two, along with Chris Paul, were the power trio on the Clippers.

Though they eventually traded to other teams, the trio still keeps in touch, especially DeAndre and Blake. They may not get as much time to hang out, but that’s okay, there’s always social media, right?

LeBron James is often considered the reason that the Cavaliers made such a good postseason run. Though that may be true, the all-star always had nothing but good things to say about Ilgauskas.

Calling him the best big man he ever played with, he even tried to bring the giant to Miami with him. Though that didn’t work out, James still counts him as one of his friends. He even made time in his busy schedule to attend the big man’s jersey retirement ceremony.

These two ballers began to develop a friendship when they were members of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The two played well together and, for a short period, looked like they were going to be the driving force behind a Timberwolves bid for the playoffs.

This fell short and both moved on to other teams, but the friendship stayed strong. The two bonded over history and appreciation of art while Love was teaching Rubio how to speak English.

Being the go-to duo on the New York Knicks led to these two ballers bonding. In fact, Anthony wanted to develop an even stronger relationship on and off the court, so he took the younger player under his tutelage.

Working hard to improve Porzingis’ shooting capability, Anthony spent a lot of time hanging with his teammate. They were so close that, even during the issues with Phil Jackson, Kristaps took to social media in solidarity with his best friend.

These two all-stars have never played each other, but they are still starting their careers. This friendship started back when they were just kids. They both attended the St. Louis Nike Elite 100 camp. The two bonded and were partners in crime the whole time. This included the time they snuck out to get themselves some slushies.

They keep in touch and are always tagging each other in posts. They even took a painting class together and enjoyed a few glasses of wine while they let their inner Picasso shine.

Kidd played for Payton’s father, and it was at this time that the seasoned player began to help the young player with his skills. This mentorship grew into a friendship, and the two would eventually end up playing against each other.

In 2003, the Nets and the Bucks would go head to head, with Kidd’s team coming out on top. There are no hard feelings, though, just good sportsmanship between these two good friends.

While playing on the Grizzlies, Gasol took an interest in helping his fellow tall man grow out of his wicked ways. Many considered Randolph a bad boy. In fact, he constantly got into trouble.

Once he began to pal around with Gasol, though, that seemed to change. Gasol prides himself on his cultural knowledge. And he began exposing Randolph to art and culture, even taking him to Europe to experience something different. The two were pretty close then and still are.

Kevin Garnett was known for being quite the trash talker. And when the young rookie came in, he experienced this first hand. McCants would see through this, though, and the two eventually became good friends.

They built their friendship on respect and a passion for the craft. McCants revered his time with the old-timer so much that he even composed a poem that relays how he felt about the long time Timberwolf taking him under his tutelage.

Playing video games is a common way to make friends as kids, and this duo started out no differently. They played so many video games that Oladipo ended up at Grant’s house more than his own. In fact, he was there so often, he quickly became a part of the family. They eventually went to separate colleges and ended up playing on different teams.

In college, they played a few times against each other. It wasn’t until the 16’-17’ season that the guys played on the same team. They worked well together, which is understandable, as they spend the summers training together back home in the D.C. area

These international players found friendship while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was friends at first sight, and the duo was soon seen goofing off in the locker room and having hilarious feuds via social media. They both even decided to grow facial hair together.

Though the two are now worlds apart, they still keep in touch and share a few jokes. Adams even has gotten his pal to root for the All Blacks, a rugby team from New Zealand. Now, that is true friendship.

While playing on the Houston Rockets, Parsons quickly made friends with Jeremy Lin. It was probably Lin’s smiling and friendly personality, but the two were soon laughing it up on social media and goofing off in the locker rooms.

Though the two basketball stars eventually wound up on different teams, Parsons still gives his best bud shout outs on his social media and they keep in touch when possible.

Conley and Oden became friends while playing on the same middle school team. This friendship would grow as they went through high school and into college. The two were often compared. But they never let that affect their friendship.

When it came time for the draft, both were taken in the first round. However, Conley became the better pro player, as Oden was plagued with injuries and eventually retired.

Both of these amazing ballers grew up in Inglewood, California, and spent a great deal of time at the local Y.M.C.A. That is where the two met and developed a friendship that has lasted several decades.

The two have never played on the same team but have maintained a strong friendship regardless. They even helped create a celebrity weekend game that has been emceed by Magic Johnson himself.

Besides having good chemistry on the court, these two gentlemen also click off the field. DeRozan is actually a big reason why Lowry has stayed where he was after a poor postseason showing.

The two love to goof off together and just enjoy each other’s company. It’s always good to have a friend that can keep you laughing even when you are feeling down. They love to make videos and share them with their fans, as well as test out cool cars together.

Another friendship formed well before they were teammates, the duo of Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul formed a true friendship. By playing each other in exhibitions and tournaments in high school, the two became buddies and even got to compete in the Olympics together.

This was all before they played briefly together on the Rockets. This was a short stint, but the two make up for that by hanging out together regularly away from the court.

Another friendship formed by the brotherhood that evolves when competing on the same team, Nash and Nowitzki were very tight. They were so close that Nowitzki even offered Nash a place to stay in his own home.

The two eventually were separated when Nash decided it was time to hang up the jersey. Even then, they still worked out regularly together and are close to this day.

Rose and Westbrook, like many of the friends on our list, have never played on the same team. However, even with their busy schedules, they have been able to cultivate a good friendship. They often work out together in the offseason and love the same fashion, video games, and food.

They both love to play hard both on and off the court, and they even do matchup games where the friendship becomes more of a cordial rivalry. When the game is over, though, it’s back to fun and games.

It seems like a lot of these basketball friendships find their roots deep in the past, and with these two, that past goes back to the 6th grade. Playing together through high school, the two would both go in the first round of the draft.

Their mission was to make Portland a well-known basketball town. Ross has had a more impactful career so far, but they both still share the passion to elevate their city’s status in the basketball community.

These friends first met on the court of the local rec center, and it was not a good meeting. Apparently, Beasley ate Durant’s pizza. The two worked it out and became very tight.

They began hanging out a lot, and they would eventually become rec court legends. The pair have never played on the same team. They still hang out, though, and shoot the ball against each other for the fun of it.

These two Aussies met long before they became friends on the court. Growing up in Melbourne, they attended different schools but would crash on the virtual court via NBA 2K.

Playing each other often, the two made a pact to meet one day on the court. Eventually, two years ago, the two finally got the chance when each other’s teams played each other. These friends finally saw their dreams come true.

After Wade and James left Bosh in Cleveland, many thought the trio’s friendships would be done. He was a little hurt. But Bosh’s relationship with Wade never wavered. In fact, they live on the same street and train together regularly.

Their wives are even friends, but they will never be able to match how tight these two basketball all-stars are, according to Wade’s wife. The two friends like to spend a lot of time together, and when they aren’t, they will regularly talk via their social media and through texts.

These two retired ballers have a long and rich history, which makes it a foregone conclusion that they would be friends. Starting in France, both attended the same institute and played for France in both the FIBA tournament, as well as the Olympics.

However, they didn’t play on the same team until 2012 when they joined the Spurs. They also got to play together at the Olympics again before both eventually retired.

It’s no secret that Scottie Pippen was the Robin to Michael Jordan’s Batman. Although they have both spent years in retirement, this is a duo that will never be separated, even if the distance gets in the way. Winning six championships together, they worked well as teammates – making sure that winning was always their top priority.

The two players were almost telepathic on the court, reading each other’s movements. Apart from their chemistry on the court, Pippen and Jordan shared a more meaningful relationship off-court than most people will ever realize.

One of the more public NBA friendships is between Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr and San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. They became close during Kerr’s years as a bench shooter for the Spurs – their relationship has since blossomed. Coaching competing teams, it’s hard for the duo to separate the personal from the professional, but they manage to make it work.

Popovich admits, “It’s awkward because I hate to see him ever lose. And if we would win, which was rare, you’d still feel a bit badly for him.”

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman’s tumultuous career has been in the headlines for years. Apart from his athletic success and controversies, one highlight has been Rodman’s friendship with billionaire Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban.

After being released from two different NBA teams, Cuban put his faith in Rodman after signing him to a contract despite Rodman’s controversial reputation. Rodman explained that Cuban liked the way he played ball and how he marketed himself!

These two met in the Junior Olympics and hit it off. Coming from similar backgrounds, they have a lot to talk about. 2003 saw them drafted to different teams. And though the two have had parallel but very different careers, they definitely have left their marks on the sport.

Even when playing against each other, the core of this friendship is respect, and that’s pretty cool.

These two had a lot in common when they met in little league. Both were born in California. And both relocated to Oregon. They bonded over being the new kids. They were very close until Thompson moved to the South.

Fate would have them both leave the baseball field for the basketball court, and they would meet up again as rivals in both college and the NBA. But their friendship remained strong.

Respect is what cultivated this friendship. Popovich and Duncan both keep their emotions in check. In fact, this is a trait they are famous for. However, through their years of building the Spurs up to their high standing in the league, they developed quite a friendship.

This developed into an almost father/son relationship, and it was clear when you saw the two together that Duncan was one of Popovich’s favorite people. The two share texts back and forth when not on the court.

This may have been the first true court bromance. These two icons of the sport were two of the best players for years. But most people thought they were bitter enemies on the court. That couldn’t have been further from the truth. In fact, they both truly respected each other and were very close until Wilt blew his knee out.

Unfortunately this created a rift. But Russell apologized a few decades later. The two spent the last few years of Russell’s life back in the friendship zone.

Perhaps the longest friendship on this list, this duo first met in preschool. This friendship would keep growing as they went through middle school and high school.

The two were some of the last drafted out of high school before the NBA changed the age limit for the draft. They played on separate teams for quite a while but eventually ended up in Houston playing together.