NBA lockout could possibly be over ... or maybe not

Former Madison Square Garden and Knicks president Dave Checketts said Thursday he had heard a deal was struck between the NBA and the players union, but he quickly hedged his claim.

Checketts, who owns an MLS team in Salt Lake, said during an interview Thursday with ESPN Radio in Salt Lake City, "I've received a couple of phone calls from friends who are very close to the process that say, 'We have a deal and it's a matter of having everything straightened out.' "

However, during that same interview he said he might have spoken too soon.

"I'm being told now ... perhaps they've taken a step back," he said. "It's not as close as I thought."

NBA and union officials at the Manhattan hotel where talks are being held denied the rumor, saying only that the sides were still in talks.