There's still no NBA lockout deal, but once there is, Howard Beck of the New York Times reports that the amnesty clause will work a bit differently than we had thought this week.

Each team will be permitted to waive one player, with pay - anytime during the life of the C.B.A. - and have his salary be exempt from the cap and the luxury tax. Its use will be limited to players already under contract as of July 1, 2011.

The amnesty clause will not be able to be used as insurance for mistakes not yet made. Bummer. This sort of kills the Greg Oden idea, because you definitely don't want to use cap space on a huge gamble and be stuck with it. That's just crazy. What do you think this is ... a business?

Still no word on when the two sides will meet again. And we wait ...