By Dave Zamzack, Inspin.com Collaborator, November 22nd, 2011-- A group of plaintiffs that includes New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, and players Steve Nash and Kevin Durant, have filed a new federal lawsuit against the NBA in Minnesota on Monday.

The strategic move is the third attempt by locked-out players. Previously, the group filed two separate antitrust lawsuits against the league in different states, including a class-action antitrust suit filed last Tuesday in California and withdrawn Monday.  Instead, an amended lawsuit was filed in Minnesota a day after."

According to players' lawyer David Boies , the main reason to pick Minnesota was to accelerate the process. Boies is expecting a hearing in Minnesota as early as next month. Now players are hoping the local courts will be as favorable to them as they have been to NFL players in recent years.

The Federal court in Minnesota has solved several NFL labor disputes over the past two decades, including a temporary injunction issued by U.S. District Judge Susan Richard Nelson this summer that lifted the NFL's owner-imposed lockout.  

On the other hand, team owners had already filed a lawsuit in the Southern District of New York, and could file a motion to have the Minnesota case moved there. NBA owners locked out the players last July 1st. So far, the labor strife has forced games to be canceled through Dec. 15.

After days of discussions and the inability to reach a fair deal, the players decided to disband the union last week in a move allowed them to file an antitrust lawsuit against the league. The consolidated complaint added some players not mentioned in the first two law suits, including Steve Nash. Other players, including Chauncey Billups, Rajon Rondo, Caron Butler, Baron Davis, Ben Gordon, Kawhi Leonard, Leon Powe, Anthony Randolph, Sebastian Telfair, Anthony Tolliver and Derrick Williams are also named in the Minnesota lawsuit.

Boies said that consolidating the suites saves time. The initial court date in California was set for March 9. Boies said a date in December now might be possible in Minnesota. The NBA has to respond to the filing there by Dec. 5. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.

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