NBA Commissioner David Stern reiterated Sunday that the proposal on the table was the best players would get and agreeing to the terms was the best shot to salvage a 72-game season.

"This is a proposal that does not call for a reduction on contract (no rollback), does not call for a hard cap, does not call for the absence of guaranteed contracts," Stern told USA TODAY, "and will see salaries go from over $5 million to between $7 million-$8 million during the length of the deal. We think it's a very fair deal for the players."

The NBA's revised proposal, outlined in a seven-page document obtained by USA TODAY, is essentially a 50-50 split of basketball-related income (BRI) with a soft salary cap and many changes to the system to distribute that money. It addresses the league's financial issues and, in the owners' view, gets them closer to competitive balance.

Stern, who later went on Twitter to answer lockout questions, acknowledged the financial and system changes were not favorable for players to accept but necessary: "It's time for a change. That is an economic reality."

The players union's executive committee and team player representatives will discuss the offer today in New York. Executive director Billy Hunter, who does not think highly of it, wants player input before rejecting the offer or bringing it to a vote.

The union could mull the offer and return it with revisions, even though Stern has said the league will replace the offer with a worse one if not accepted. That would be a 53-47 percentage split of BRI in favor of owners; a hard salary cap with no exceptions to exceed it; rollbacks in current player salaries and other extreme system restrictions.

"We're finished negotiating," Stern said. "As a matter of labor law, we're obligated to meet and negotiate and stay at the table generally. We've told the players that after 2 years of negotiating, this last offer is where we find ourselves -- and our next negotiations are going to begin off of the 47%. This is the best shot to start the season on Dec. 15 and have a 72-game season."

If rejected, the union could dissolve, players could file antitrust lawsuits on the lockout and chances of a lost season increase. "I don't want to comment on it, think about it, posit it or respond to it," Stern said of a lost season.

Other points he did touch on:

Will B-list issues -- drug policy, conduct code, age limit for rookies -- prevent a deal? "Do I think there'll be tradeoffs on both sides that will ultimately be able to be settled? Of course. I don't think either side will blow up the season over the B-list issues."

On repairing the player-owner relationship: "I have no doubt that that will continue after the ruffled feathers on both sides get patted down if we manage to save the season."

On repairing the relationship with fans: "If we get to a 72-game schedule, I'm confident fans who are justified in feeling disappointed and disgruntled and even angry with both sides will be won back by our efforts to win them back and present great basketball."

On what he has learned: "If the union begins the rhetoric from Day 1, the numbers aren't true, the owners are greedy, the NBA is trying to break the union, all of which are fabrications, then it's very, very difficult to change the attitudes of the players who depend upon the union for their information and gestalt. And that's very unfortunate, because it leaves us with situations like we're now facing."