Silver showed his ass and hit the wealthiest owner hard.
If they actually voided Kawhi's contract like Joe Smith he'd be a free agent and he'd likely get the same?
I think the league likes he was traded?
Suspending him would hurt toronto and perhaps if sent back clippers, the fans. Perhaps the Union would have grounds to challange a suspension of any length?
Rumor is Balmer is very influential owner and I think many thought Silver would go light. As I have noted Silver has 29 other bosses that is the NBA so perhaps this was done via committee as well.
Clippers already thin with Picks still oweing from the PG13 trade and having to watch two time MVP SGA prance about the league.
My own opinion? the one yeaar suspension to Balmer will hurt more then the $30mil. The team and the new arena is his big toy. 6month to Frank and the CEO for one year will hurt them perhaps but Im sure they will be ok.
Fans will suffer given the lack of fresh talent via the draft and the draft capital to make trades.
But.......They will have cap space and players will have an ATM if they want to take risk of not extending.
If they suffer at the gate and ad revenue the financial loss will be much greater than the 30mil.
It also will thwart their valuation if thought to sell. That New arena cost a lot of money and they potentially will bleed for a while.
All the same, likely will suprise us given free agents will land there.
The real victim here is Brandon Ingram. He shouldn't be forced into that mess. My new CBA rule would give players a right a veto trades to team that are censured.
EwingsGlass wrote:The real victim here is Brandon Ingram. He shouldn't be forced into that mess. My new CBA rule would give players a right a veto trades to team that are censured.
I get your point. Trade was made before the sanctions. Players can ask for trade? They can also ask for extention.
That Clips got to keep their 5th pick this year was something.
They get two non swapable picks from Toronto. They are 1st rounders. They might not amount to anything big, but can be trade fodder. They have Garland who next year is an expiring and could be moved for a pick.
They have a ton a cap space coming if they want.
Ingram contract is an NBA contract and he'll be paid. It might suck, but many times players are traded to shitty teams.
This shitty team is in LA and he might have fun putting up big numbers. And doing so in Southern Californial. Other than fires, mudslides, Smog and high taxes, if your wealthy its a good gig! Better than high taxes and shitty cold weather in Toronto!
Given choices, players want to be paid then win. Not all teams and circumstances align. Ingram and Grady Dick might benefit financially and given opportunity to do well.
Grady Dick now gets to mingle with entertainment folks. Has to be a screenplay in someones head with the name "Grady Dick".
"Dick" is bad enough. They named him "Grady" also. Any of you know anyone named Grady?
Just this guy?
As for revisionist history? PG13 was 3rd in MVP voting when they made the trade for him in 2019. It has proven to be a fucking disaster but context to the moment: Kawhi was coming off MVP of finals and that seen as a hell of a deal getting twho two. I proved to be shady as hell........the clippers were fined and investigated at the time. Then it got worse.
Silver has been soft on crime since his shining opening of ridding the league of Donald Sterling. Windhorst reports there could be more coming down the pipe but might be limited if the clippers just take the punishment and move on. Balmer has be defiant thus far. The money is not a consequence. The picks are. If any presidence Timberwolves got back two picks from Stern after reforming their ways.
I have not read the report but it was damning!
Might not be a death sentance but it will suck. For all the did they only won two playoff series in with Kawhi.
Pablo Torres cred just got elevated!
Honestly the draft pick situation only hurts the fans. It’s a stuck fan base for many years. The owner and front office don’t really feel this much. Kawhi feels none of it, despite him being the sole reason all of this took place. I don’t know, I just feel like the punishments impact the wrong people the most.
Knixkik wrote:Honestly the draft pick situation only hurts the fans. It’s a stuck fan base for many years. The owner and front office don’t really feel this much. Kawhi feels none of it, despite him being the sole reason all of this took place. I don’t know, I just feel like the punishments impact the wrong people the most.
Its a good point and perhaps he holds no smoking gun and can claim ignroance. I was thinking the same but the only real presidence was the Joe smith thing 25 years ago. Wolves were caught right away and the contract was voided before he played under it. With a year left on Kawhi's deal he would become an unsresstricted free agent and Clipers then don't get Dick. Or Ingram, or the two first two round picks. Thus, Clipper fans further screwed.
I would guess if Balmer sold the team Silver could reinstate the picks?
Players also have a union that I guess would drag this through court long enought that he'd play on the last year of his contract. Also he got the money. He banked it. Could the NBA have grounds to get it back and to whom? That could be a civil court thing but the companies that gave him the money are also cupable. Some are gone. They illegal or just unjust given the CBA and how the NBA is structured.
Fans get hurt, but Balmer will suffer as he can't raise prices, and perhaps have to offer incentives to sell tickets? Team sponsers will go away or have cause to request good faith discounts. A lessor financially sound owener might say be influenced to take a big ass profit and walk away.
The Windhorst pod cast asked some good questions and laid a lot out. I'd suggest interested fans give a listen. They also don't think its a death sentence for the team. They still will have some picks and cap space. For them to be reasonably competitive they will have to spend a lot of money on front office as well with additional scouting, etc to attempt to to be competitive.
Ballmer's balls were snipped
BlueKnickers wrote:Ballmer's balls were snipped
Read that Ballmers pushback made the penalty worse.
The league indicated there could be more. Remember, 29 other owners will continue to chime in.
My take is league wanted this done and in the books as not to be a stain in the upcoming season.
Im just not seeing where there was an injured party here?
I can see where maybe competition from other companies bidding on the scoreboard could claim there was unfair practice but is soft dollar payments illegal? If Balmer is buying the scorboard, not like he was injured? Thus, where is the crime?
Was there tax fraud?
I can see perhaps creditors/investors of the now defunct companies might have a claim? The monies that were paid to Kawai were invested by Balmer or other cronies and washed thru the company. Its bad and unfair. The league has dealt with it. But where is the crime for the government to step in?
When Tim Donahy thing was tax fraud and criminal activity related to manipulation of betting. That hurts legal betting customers.
Does this injure fans? To some degree but there never a guarantee a team will be competitive.
