NBA owners met with the players’ union in the first round of negotiations towards the next NBA collective bargaining agreement.

The current deal will run for two more seasons, and the owners must notify the players on Dec. 15, 2010, whether they intend to extend the deal for an additional season.

The owners are clear in their intention to opt out of the current deal.

"We knew that coming into today, and that's why we agreed to meet today -- to get this process started," said players union president Derek Fisher.

"We don't plan on waiting until 2011 to have the talks we need to have to keep this relationship a strong one."