The Official 2025 Offseason Thread #5 Dog Days

[flagstaff]

The Kawhi Leonard, Clippers news is an interesting way to circumvent the cap. Feels like the Clippers should lose at least a few first rounders. I don't know what the penalty on Kawhi would be.

[ImNotMcDiSwear]

The Kawhi Leonard, Clippers news is an interesting way to circumvent the cap. Feels like the Clippers should lose at least a few first rounders. I don't know what the penalty on Kawhi would be.

From what I can tell this is probably the most egregious violation of CBA rules by a team in league history. I don't know how bad the penalty ought to be... 5 first rounders? I'd just feel so bad for the fans. $100 million fine? Void the remainder of Kawhi's contract (would that even be a punishment?)?

Perhaps our team outlook will go from worst in the league to second-worst. We live in hope.

[Saberestar]

Shams:

Dallas Mavericks forward PJ Washington has agreed to a four-year, $90 million contract extension with the franchise, agent Kevin Bradbury of LIFT Sports Management told ESPN. Washington secures a new deal that keeps him in Dallas through 2029-30.

[lilfishi22]

The Kawhi Leonard, Clippers news is an interesting way to circumvent the cap. Feels like the Clippers should lose at least a few first rounders. I don't know what the penalty on Kawhi would be.

From what I can tell this is probably the most egregious violation of CBA rules by a team in league history. I don't know how bad the penalty ought to be... 5 first rounders? I'd just feel so bad for the fans. $100 million fine? Void the remainder of Kawhi's contract (would that even be a punishment?)?

Perhaps our team outlook will go from worst in the league to second-worst. We live in hope.

It's pretty nuts. If I read it correctly, Balmer (or LAC) set up an endorsement company that would pay Kawhi ($28m/yr is what I read) but in the contract it states he'll get paid even if he does nothing for that company as long as he's a Clipper. At first, I'm like hmmmm maybe there's some plausible deniability because many that athletes have personal endorsement deal but the fact that they were so explicit in the contract saying he can do nothing and still get paid as long as he's a Clipper is pretty damning.

[Ghost of Kleine]

The Kawhi Leonard, Clippers news is an interesting way to circumvent the cap. Feels like the Clippers should lose at least a few first rounders. I don't know what the penalty on Kawhi would be.

From what I can tell this is probably the most egregious violation of CBA rules by a team in league history. I don't know how bad the penalty ought to be... 5 first rounders? I'd just feel so bad for the fans. $100 million fine? Void the remainder of Kawhi's contract (would that even be a punishment?)?

Perhaps our team outlook will go from worst in the league to second-worst. We live in hope.

It's pretty nuts. If I read it correctly, Balmer (or LAC) set up an endorsement company that would pay Kawhi ($28m/yr is what I read) but in the contract it states he'll get paid even if he does nothing for that company as long as he's a Clipper. At first, I'm like hmmmm maybe there's some plausible deniability because many that athletes have personal endorsement deal but the fact that they were so explicit in the contract saying he can do nothing and still get paid as long as he's a Clipper is pretty damning.

Kind of makes me wonder about the other big LA team well known for endorsements, etc as a big factor in luring/ attracting free agency acquisitions and big name players.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something there to given their blatant propensity for collusion in trades ( Le'GM/ Klutch) and other underlying connections too. Like Pelinka and Harrison's long time connections going back to Nike. And the whole suppressed information towards the Doncic trade that excluded other teams from even being able to make bids.

[lilfishi22]

From what I can tell this is probably the most egregious violation of CBA rules by a team in league history. I don't know how bad the penalty ought to be... 5 first rounders? I'd just feel so bad for the fans. $100 million fine? Void the remainder of Kawhi's contract (would that even be a punishment?)?

Perhaps our team outlook will go from worst in the league to second-worst. We live in hope.

It's pretty nuts. If I read it correctly, Balmer (or LAC) set up an endorsement company that would pay Kawhi ($28m/yr is what I read) but in the contract it states he'll get paid even if he does nothing for that company as long as he's a Clipper. At first, I'm like hmmmm maybe there's some plausible deniability because many that athletes have personal endorsement deal but the fact that they were so explicit in the contract saying he can do nothing and still get paid as long as he's a Clipper is pretty damning.

Kind of makes me wonder about the other big LA team well known for endorsements, etc as a big factor in luring/ attracting free agency acquisitions and big name players.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something there to given their blatant propensity for collusion in trades ( Le'GM/ Klutch) and other underlying connections too. Like Pelinka and Harrison's long time connections going back to Nike. And the whole suppressed information towards the Doncic trade that excluded other teams from even being able to make bids.

I think it's more widespread (not limited to LA teams) but the difference is that other endorsement deals would probably stipulate some minimum level of endorsement work, but they would still be vastly overpaid for that below expected level of work. What makes Kawhi's situation unique (as far as we know) is that his contract specifically states that he doesn’t have to participate in any endorsement work; he just needs to be a Clipper to get paid. If that clause had been left vague/open ended there could have been more room for plausible deniability.

lol

Read on Twitter

[garrick]

It's pretty nuts. If I read it correctly, Balmer (or LAC) set up an endorsement company that would pay Kawhi ($28m/yr is what I read) but in the contract it states he'll get paid even if he does nothing for that company as long as he's a Clipper. At first, I'm like hmmmm maybe there's some plausible deniability because many that athletes have personal endorsement deal but the fact that they were so explicit in the contract saying he can do nothing and still get paid as long as he's a Clipper is pretty damning.

Kind of makes me wonder about the other big LA team well known for endorsements, etc as a big factor in luring/ attracting free agency acquisitions and big name players.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something there to given their blatant propensity for collusion in trades ( Le'GM/ Klutch) and other underlying connections too. Like Pelinka and Harrison's long time connections going back to Nike. And the whole suppressed information towards the Doncic trade that excluded other teams from even being able to make bids.

I think it's more widespread (not limited to LA teams) but the difference is that other endorsement deals would probably stipulate some minimum level of endorsement work, but they would still be vastly overpaid for that below expected level of work. What makes Kawhi's situation unique (as far as we know) is that his contract specifically states that he doesn’t have to participate in any endorsement work; he just needs to be a Clipper to get paid. If that clause had been left vague/open ended there could have been more room for plausible deniability.

lol

Read on Twitter

The ROI on Kawhi have been pretty dismal.

Early playoff exits and a ton of missed games plus they also got rid of a boatload of picks and traded away SGA as well as icing on the cake! Do they even have any first rounders left in the next 5 years they can forfeit?

[lilfishi22]

Kind of makes me wonder about the other big LA team well known for endorsements, etc as a big factor in luring/ attracting free agency acquisitions and big name players.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something there to given their blatant propensity for collusion in trades ( Le'GM/ Klutch) and other underlying connections too. Like Pelinka and Harrison's long time connections going back to Nike. And the whole suppressed information towards the Doncic trade that excluded other teams from even being able to make bids.

I think it's more widespread (not limited to LA teams) but the difference is that other endorsement deals would probably stipulate some minimum level of endorsement work, but they would still be vastly overpaid for that below expected level of work. What makes Kawhi's situation unique (as far as we know) is that his contract specifically states that he doesn’t have to participate in any endorsement work; he just needs to be a Clipper to get paid. If that clause had been left vague/open ended there could have been more room for plausible deniability.

lol

Read on Twitter

The ROI on Kawhi have been pretty dismal.

Early playoff exits and a ton of missed games plus they also got rid of a boatload of picks and traded away SGA as well as icing on the cake! Do they even have any first rounders left in the next 5 years they can forfeit?

Only the ones they aren't allowed to trade but they are swaps eg 2027 and 2029 are swaps with OKC/DEN and Philly.

[garrick]

I think it's more widespread (not limited to LA teams) but the difference is that other endorsement deals would probably stipulate some minimum level of endorsement work, but they would still be vastly overpaid for that below expected level of work. What makes Kawhi's situation unique (as far as we know) is that his contract specifically states that he doesn’t have to participate in any endorsement work; he just needs to be a Clipper to get paid. If that clause had been left vague/open ended there could have been more room for plausible deniability.

lol

Read on Twitter

The ROI on Kawhi have been pretty dismal.

Early playoff exits and a ton of missed games plus they also got rid of a boatload of picks and traded away SGA as well as icing on the cake! Do they even have any first rounders left in the next 5 years they can forfeit?

Only the ones they aren't allowed to trade but they are swaps eg 2027 and 2029 are swaps with OKC/DEN and Philly.

Seems pretty sloppy of Balmer if this is true.

I guess the league can only impose a stiff financial fine and Balmer will have no problem selling some of his MSFT stock but maybe this was what he was counting on.

[lilfishi22]

The ROI on Kawhi have been pretty dismal.

Early playoff exits and a ton of missed games plus they also got rid of a boatload of picks and traded away SGA as well as icing on the cake! Do they even have any first rounders left in the next 5 years they can forfeit?

Only the ones they aren't allowed to trade but they are swaps eg 2027 and 2029 are swaps with OKC/DEN and Philly.

Seems pretty sloppy of Balmer if this is true.

I guess the league can only impose a stiff financial fine and Balmer will have no problem selling some of his MSFT stock but maybe this was what he was counting on.

I think what would actually hurt them is to put some sort of salary cap penalty, like there'll now be a $28m in dead cap for the next 3-5 years or something. A fine outside of that is not a big deal for Balmer and it would be more or less a slap on wrist for someone of his wealth.

[Ghost of Kleine]

It's pretty nuts. If I read it correctly, Balmer (or LAC) set up an endorsement company that would pay Kawhi ($28m/yr is what I read) but in the contract it states he'll get paid even if he does nothing for that company as long as he's a Clipper. At first, I'm like hmmmm maybe there's some plausible deniability because many that athletes have personal endorsement deal but the fact that they were so explicit in the contract saying he can do nothing and still get paid as long as he's a Clipper is pretty damning.

Kind of makes me wonder about the other big LA team well known for endorsements, etc as a big factor in luring/ attracting free agency acquisitions and big name players.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something there to given their blatant propensity for collusion in trades ( Le'GM/ Klutch) and other underlying connections too. Like Pelinka and Harrison's long time connections going back to Nike. And the whole suppressed information towards the Doncic trade that excluded other teams from even being able to make bids.

I think it's more widespread (not limited to LA teams) but the difference is that other endorsement deals would probably stipulate some minimum level of endorsement work, but they would still be vastly overpaid for that below expected level of work. What makes Kawhi's situation unique (as far as we know) is that his contract specifically states that he doesn’t have to participate in any endorsement work; he just needs to be a Clipper to get paid. If that clause had been left vague/open ended there could have been more room for plausible deniability.

lol

Read on Twitter

Great point! And you're absolutely right about it most likely being much more widespread. After all, the NBA even as an entertainment entity is still a business first and foremost.

[lilfishi22]

Kind of makes me wonder about the other big LA team well known for endorsements, etc as a big factor in luring/ attracting free agency acquisitions and big name players.

It wouldn't surprise me at all if there was something there to given their blatant propensity for collusion in trades ( Le'GM/ Klutch) and other underlying connections too. Like Pelinka and Harrison's long time connections going back to Nike. And the whole suppressed information towards the Doncic trade that excluded other teams from even being able to make bids.

I think it's more widespread (not limited to LA teams) but the difference is that other endorsement deals would probably stipulate some minimum level of endorsement work, but they would still be vastly overpaid for that below expected level of work. What makes Kawhi's situation unique (as far as we know) is that his contract specifically states that he doesn’t have to participate in any endorsement work; he just needs to be a Clipper to get paid. If that clause had been left vague/open ended there could have been more room for plausible deniability.

lol

Read on Twitter

Great point! And you're absolutely right about it most likely being much more widespread. After all, the NBA even as an entertainment entity is still a business first and foremost.

I actually think the NBA has largely turned a blind eye to this. The simple fact that we've seen agents, teams, players skirt the rules, especially around tampering yet season after season we see major deals get announced the moment free agency opens just shows the NBA is aware of it but they just don't have the appetite to really investigate and hand out punishment unless it's either really blatant and/or they were tipped off and were obligated to investigate. The reason tampering rules are in place is to make it fair for everyone but the reason why the NBA has probably turned a blind eye to a lot of this stuff is because everyone is doing it so no one really has an advantage. If they were serious about these rules, they should probably audit every single endorsement deal but they'll also have to put up a pretty big fight with the NBPA.

But with how much publicity this story has gained, the NBA has no choice but to investigate

[Ghost of Kleine]

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Cool that J Green is in the top 5 for gravity considering how it might flex the defenses for Booker and even supplemental scoring options like Allen, O'neale and Brea possibly too.

This might bode well for a potential value increase in trade for Allen and O'neale.

[Mr Puddles]

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Cool that J Green is in the top 5 for gravity considering how it might flex the defenses for Booker and even supplemental scoring options like Allen, O'neale and Brea possibly too.

This might bode well for a potential value increase in trade for Allen and O'neale.

Isn't that mostly due to the fact that the rockets had zero perimeter threads outside of Green last year?

I think the potential positive take away could be that on Phoenix, defenses can't target green the way they did in Houston due to having Booker on the floor as well - so perhaps his efficiency will improve.

[Ghost of Kleine]

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[Ghost of Kleine]

Read on Twitter

Cool that J Green is in the top 5 for gravity considering how it might flex the defenses for Booker and even supplemental scoring options like Allen, O'neale and Brea possibly too.

This might bode well for a potential value increase in trade for Allen and O'neale.

Isn't that mostly due to the fact that the rockets had zero perimeter threads outside of Green last year?

I think the potential positive take away could be that on Phoenix, defenses can't target green the way they did in Houston due to having Booker on the floor as well - so perhaps his efficiency will improve.

Absolutely man. Just as you pointed out, the Rockets really har no other offensive threats to draw defensive pressure from Green.

So you're likely very right that in this much different environment with more legitimate offensive threats throughout our roster, not only should Green be afforded more space to work with, but his efficiency should also dramatically improve.

Because defenses won't be able to hone in on him solely as much as they could with Houston's roster. It's an excellent point you make to his possibly increasing his efficiency, but also his percieved trade value as a byproduct too!

[ChuckS]

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Cool that J Green is in the top 5 for gravity considering how it might flex the defenses for Booker and even supplemental scoring options like Allen, O'neale and Brea possibly too.

This might bode well for a potential value increase in trade for Allen and O'neale.

Isn't that mostly due to the fact that the rockets had zero perimeter threads outside of Green last year?

I think the potential positive take away could be that on Phoenix, defenses can't target green the way they did in Houston due to having Booker on the floor as well - so perhaps his efficiency will improve.

Absolutely man. Just as you pointed out, the Rockets really har no other offensive threats to draw defensive pressure from Green.

So you're likely very right that in this much different environment with more legitimate offensive threats throughout our roster, not only should Green be afforded more space to work with, but his efficiency should also dramatically improve.

Because defenses won't be able to hone in on him solely as much as they could with Houston's roster. It's an excellent point you make to his possibly increasing his efficiency, but also his percieved trade value as a byproduct too!

Very interesting and valid observations. I do not necessarily disagree because of Green's abilities and the fact that I haven't watched Houston to determine the defensive attention he received. He was the 2d highest scorer, but If I were the opposing coach Sengun would be the primary defensive concern. As far as his three point shooting I have further doubts. He made 2.5 on 7.4 attempts (33.2%). VanVleet made 3.1 on 8 attempts (38.7%). Other starters were more efficient also, though shooting fewer. Jabari Smith made 1.8 on 5 attempts (36.3%) and Brooks 1.8 on 5.1 attempts (35.9%).

In spite of the above, I think he will be a valuable offensive weapon. I also agree Book drawing substantial defensive attention will help. I just have no way of knowing how much the defensive attention he received affected efficiency. I'm also wondering if that caused his -4.7 on/off court (5th of their starters) and pretty much break even +0.1 own vs. opponent production (4th of their starters). Probably more important, however, he is talented and can score points, which we will need, regardless of efficiency.

[Biff]

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Cool that J Green is in the top 5 for gravity considering how it might flex the defenses for Booker and even supplemental scoring options like Allen, O'neale and Brea possibly too.

This might bode well for a potential value increase in trade for Allen and O'neale.

Isn't that mostly due to the fact that the rockets had zero perimeter threads outside of Green last year?

I think the potential positive take away could be that on Phoenix, defenses can't target green the way they did in Houston due to having Booker on the floor as well - so perhaps his efficiency will improve.

Absolutely man. Just as you pointed out, the Rockets really har no other offensive threats to draw defensive pressure from Green.

So you're likely very right that in this much different environment with more legitimate offensive threats throughout our roster, not only should Green be afforded more space to work with, but his efficiency should also dramatically improve.

Because defenses won't be able to hone in on him solely as much as they could with Houston's roster. It's an excellent point you make to his possibly increasing his efficiency, but also his percieved trade value as a byproduct too!

Where's the evidence for this? Rockets were 13th on offense last year vs 10th for us. The Rockets were better with Green off the floor.

[bigfoot]

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https://www.hoopsrumors.com/2025/09/suns-waive-alex-schumacher.html

The Suns have waived Alex Schumacher, reports Keith Smith of Spotrac (Twitter link). The move, which was not unexpected, came just a day after the team officially signed him to an Exhibit 10 contract.

Phoenix already held Schumacher’s G League returning rights, since he finished last season with the Valley Suns. Signing him to an Exhibit 10 deal and then waiving him will allow the organization to give him a bonus on top of his standard NBAGL salary for rejoining the Suns’ G League affiliate this fall.

Schumacher, who played two seasons at Seattle University before going undrafted in the 2024 draft, split time between the Valley Suns and the Windy City Bulls last season, averaging 9.2 points and 3.1 assists per game in his G League rookie year.

The sign-and-waive is a common move for teams to retain the ability to keep players in their programs by creating a pathway to more money than a standard G League contract. If the player spends at least 60 days with the team’s affiliate, he can earn a bonus worth as much as $85,300.

[schnakenpopanz]

Miikka Muurinen a 6’10”, 5-star recruit just dropped 7 clutch 4Q points to lift Finland over Serbia — one of the biggest upsets in EuroBasket history
Still only in high school (Arizona) with offers from Duke, Kentucky, UNC, Arkansas & more.

oh look another Airzona prospect comes into mind