NBA’s David Stern, players’ representatives enjoy ‘quality time’

NBA Commissioner David Stern and players’ representatives met for two hours Tuesday in New York and said they would have another negotiating session Wednesday as the league’s lockout of players nears three months.

Stern told reporters both sides “spent some quality time discussing concepts and we agreed that it would be good if we went back to our offices, talked amongst ourselves and reconvened tomorrow.”

No firm proposals were exchanged, said Stern and Players’ Assn. President and Lakers guard Derek Fisher.

Fisher told reporters that Tuesday’s talks, “in ideas and concepts,” touched on getting “into the range of” bargaining that would move the parties closer to a deal.

Last week the NBA canceled the start of training camps and 43 exhibition games through Oct. 15. The regular season is scheduled to begin Nov. 1.

When asked Tuesday whether more cancellations would follow if no deal is struck by the end of this week, Stern said, “Both teams played hard and the calendar is not our friend.”

In a letter to players first reported by ESPN, Fisher wrote that he believes there’s a “divide” among NBA owners regarding their commitment to demanding a “hard” salary cap. Fisher also told the players that owners can help solve their claims that 23 of 30 teams are losing money and that NBA teams lost a combined $300 million last season.

“It’s time for our large-market teams to share some of the wealth with each other,” Fisher wrote in an obvious reference to the Lakers. “We continue to remain firm on the idea that not all of the purported loss figures should be made up solely through the reduction of player salaries.”

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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Pugmire reported from Los Angeles.