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NEW YORK -- Jeremy Lin and three other players will maintain valuable rights in free agency after an arbitrators ruling. The National Basketball Players Association said Friday that arbitrator Kenneth Dam affirmed its position that players claimed off waivers can use their "Bird" and "Early Bird" rights. The union argued that Lin, Knicks teammate Steve Novak, the Clippers Chauncey Billups and Portlands J.J. Hickson should be covered by the exceptions that allow clubs to exceed their salary caps to re-sign their own players. The NBA said it would appeal the ruling. All four players were waived this season and claimed by other teams. They will become free agents July 1. The ruling should help the Knicks hopes of keeping both Lin, their starting point guard, and Novak, who led the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage. They are expected to re-sign Lin no matter what but would have been limited in their other options beyond that if they couldnt use Bird rights. Teams can sign a player using the Bird exception if the player was with them for some or all of each of the prior three consecutive seasons. The Early Bird rights apply to players who played for the team for some or all of each of the prior two consecutive seasons. According to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the player keeps his rights if he changes teams by trade. The NBPA argued that a player and his contract going from one team to another also should maintain his rights through a waiver claim. Lin and Novak will enter the free agency period with Early Bird rights, while Billups and Hickson will have full Bird rights -- named for Larry Bird. The ruling also will apply to future players claimed off waivers. "Bird and Early Bird rights are the lynchpin of our Soft Cap system, and were pleased that Professor Dam recognized that a player does not forfeit these important rights unless he makes an affirmative decision to sign with a new team as a free agent," NBPA Executive Director Billy Hunter said in a statement. "Players fought hard for a Collective Bargaining Agreement that allows maximum flexibility for free agent players while also permitting teams to retain their core free agents, and todays decision affirms both of these important principles." Wholesale Jerseys China . Li, ranked No. 7 in the world, will take on Julia Cohen of the United States in the second round. Eighth-seeded Bojana Jovanovski of Serbia could await Li in the quarterfinals after beating Ying-Ying Duan of China 6-3, 6-1 in the second round. Wholesale NBA Jerseys . After being held to a 1-1 draw by Italy in Group C at the PGE Arena in Gdansk, Spain complained that a dry pitch hindered its short-passing game and ability to break down the Italian defence. http://elevatedcolor.com/hot.html . So are the Phillies. Halladay pitched eight innings and Chase Utley hit a tiebreaking, two-run homer in the eighth to lift Philadelphia to a 3-1 victory over the St.NEW YORK - The National Lacrosse League is opting out of the final two seasons of the leagues collective bargaining agreement. The NLL intends to operate for the 2013 season under the terms for wages and conditions of the expiring CBA. "Although we have opted out of the current agreement because the economic model does not serve our long-term interests, the league remains open for business and committed to play the 2013 season," said NLL commissioner George Daaniel in a statement.dddddddddddd. "We remain ready, willing and able to bargain in good faith with the Players Association on a new CBA." The vote was held at the annual NLL board of governors meetings. The recently completed 2012 season was the fifth year of a seven-year agreement that was agreed to before the 2008 season. That agreement allowed either the league or the players association to opt out of the final two years of the agreement. ' ' '