NBA Makes Its Move to Avert a Stoppage : Pro basketball: League and players’ association agree on no-strike/no-lockout pledge, sources say.

The NBA and the players’ association, days away from an unannounced league-ordered work stoppage, reached an agreement in principle late Wednesday night on a no-strike/no-lockout pledge that will allow the season to start on time Nov. 4 and continue without interruption, sources said.

The Times learned that league officials notified the National Basketball Players Assn. about a week ago that a lockout would have begun Monday had they not come to this understanding. That will become a moot point today, however, when the pact is completed and announced at a joint news conference in New York.

Charles Grantham, executive director of the NBPA, declined comment. Deputy Commissioner Russ Granik said he was hopeful for a peace treaty before the season begins, but would not comment further.

Buck Williams of the Portland Trail Blazers, president of the players’ association, told the Associated Press, “I like the concept” of the no-strike/no-lockout proposal, adding: “I’m sure there are some discussions about that.”

Meanwhile, the union will continue to press forward with two lawsuits, contrary to reports that those would have to be dropped before the league would accept the no-strike/no-lockout agreement. Sources said the sides have had about six unofficial meetings in an attempt to reach a settlement on the antitrust suit in the court of appeals that challenges the salary cap, the college draft and the rights of free agency, but that no progress has been made.

The second legal action was filed this week when David Wood of the Golden State Warriors and Howard Eisley of the Minnesota Timberwolves sued the league, alleging it artificially reduced the salary cap for 1994-95 by about $74 million.

Negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement have been at a standstill and no meetings are scheduled. Earlier this month, the union and the league said they would be willing to open the season without a new deal, as they have in the past, and as recently as three weeks ago Commissioner David Stern dismissed any lockout talk while boasting of the league’s labor harmony.

“We have never had a strike and never had a lockout,” Stern said after an Oct. 5 owners’ meeting. “We know what a strike is. We know what a lockout is. But those particular weapons have never been called into action. We haven’t and we don’t plan to.”

Those plans apparently changed.

Wednesday, before the agreement neared completion, Grantham faxed a memo to 11 player agents that, among other things, warned of the impending Monday lockout.