Nba force sale of Clippers again?

[hugepatsfan]

Paying players under the table is the most egregious competitive violation an owner can make. If that doesn’t lead to an owner being forced to sell, then effectively there’s no basketball-related reason for that to ever happen. Because nothing could be a bigger competitive violation at the ownership level.

[clippertown]

Salary cap added, 5 to 10 years worth of FRP. Let it circle the team circle the drain for a long time and let the owner deal with the fallout of lost revenue from lack of assets to create a team.

How about zero salary cap added, zero luxury tax paid, zero lost FRP's - would that be better? At least its more realistic.

To even prove that Ballmer intentionally set this up will be a major challenge for a notably private group like the NBA. He is the model of an NBA owner and likely very popular amongst the other owners, especially those that do not pay luxury tax. Plus, Kawhi is not some rookie - he is a role-model for the entire league and there is no way Silver will risk his stellar reputation for something that hurt nobody and is not even likely to be legally provable. Plus, the idea Kawhi is the only culprit double-dipping here is just ludicrous. Seriously, I hope nobody here believes that.

These are all fantasy dreams where the Clippers get yet another public smackdown. Not this time. Not this team.

Yeah, I don't think so.

You can't name five players in this league more respected by the players or the fans than Kawhi.

You also can't prove any of the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. This is not some clear-cut crime and it was not directly done by the Clipper organization (it looks like it was a Ballmer play). No way the league is going to review every players outside endorsement deals.

Even if there was something there, the embarrassment the league would face after already investigating Kawhi and coming up empty five years ago and then having to admit they are incompetent is just not going to happen. This is a huge nothing-burger.

[Woodsanity]

I would fine them and take away some picks. Not force him to sell.

[clippertown]

I would fine them and take away some picks. Not force him to sell.

The commish did not even force Donald Stirling to sell the Clippers after his racist rant. He was declared legally incompetent, and his wife took the company from him and sold it to Ballmer. Donald never wanted to sell the franchise.

I can't even see pick confiscations as an appropriate response. It's likely it will be handled behind closed doors with a large fine that will go to the other owners or a charity, and nothing will happen to the Clippers franchise after that.

[SFrush]

I would fine them and take away some picks. Not force him to sell.

The commish did not even force Donald Stirling to sell the Clippers after his racist rant. He was declared legally incompetent, and his wife took the company from him and sold it to Ballmer. Donald never wanted to sell the franchise.

I can't even see pick confiscations as an appropriate response. It's likely it will be handled behind closed doors with a large fine that will go to the other owners or a charity, and nothing will happen to the Clippers franchise after that.

Sounds like wishful thinking.

[druggas]

How about zero salary cap added, zero luxury tax paid, zero lost FRP's - would that be better? At least its more realistic.

To even prove that Ballmer intentionally set this up will be a major challenge for a notably private group like the NBA. He is the model of an NBA owner and likely very popular amongst the other owners, especially those that do not pay luxury tax. Plus, Kawhi is not some rookie - he is a role-model for the entire league and there is no way Silver will risk his stellar reputation for something that hurt nobody and is not even likely to be legally provable. Plus, the idea Kawhi is the only culprit double-dipping here is just ludicrous. Seriously, I hope nobody here believes that.

These are all fantasy dreams where the Clippers get yet another public smackdown. Not this time. Not this team.

Yeah, I don't think so.

You can't name five players in this league more respected by the players or the fans than Kawhi.

You also can't prove any of the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. This is not some clear-cut crime and it was not directly done by the Clipper organization (it looks like it was a Ballmer play). No way the league is going to review every players outside endorsement deals.

Even if there was something there, the embarrassment the league would face after already investigating Kawhi and coming up empty five years ago and then having to admit they are incompetent is just not going to happen. This is a huge nothing-burger.

I can't name 5 players who are worse than Kawhi.

[clippertown]

Yeah, I don't think so.

You can't name five players in this league more respected by the players or the fans than Kawhi.

You also can't prove any of the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. This is not some clear-cut crime and it was not directly done by the Clipper organization (it looks like it was a Ballmer play). No way the league is going to review every players outside endorsement deals.

Even if there was something there, the embarrassment the league would face after already investigating Kawhi and coming up empty five years ago and then having to admit they are incompetent is just not going to happen. This is a huge nothing-burger.

I can't name 5 players who are worse than Kawhi.

I said five players more respected than Kawhi. Nothing about being the best. I'm still waiting...

BTW, if you think Kawhi is one of the five worst players in the league, then don't bother to respond as I won't take anything you say seriously.

[druggas]

You can't name five players in this league more respected by the players or the fans than Kawhi.

You also can't prove any of the allegations beyond a reasonable doubt. This is not some clear-cut crime and it was not directly done by the Clipper organization (it looks like it was a Ballmer play). No way the league is going to review every players outside endorsement deals.

Even if there was something there, the embarrassment the league would face after already investigating Kawhi and coming up empty five years ago and then having to admit they are incompetent is just not going to happen. This is a huge nothing-burger.

I can't name 5 players who are worse than Kawhi.

I said five players more respected than Kawhi. Nothing about being the best. I'm still waiting...

BTW, if you think Kawhi is one of the five worst players in the league, then don't bother to respond as I won't take anything you say seriously.

If you think Kawhi is a role model, I won't take anything you post as being serious.

[HMFFL]

This league is going to get more interesting (good & bad) if Silver and the owners allow more people in Ballmer's networth class to become owners.

[LordCovington33]

They won't force Ballmer to sell. But he's going to pay one hell of a fine.

Which will mean almost nothing to him - the guy is worth $150b. He makes and loses more with a small fluctuation in the share price.

[cpower]

They won't force Ballmer to sell. But he's going to pay one hell of a fine.

Which will mean almost nothing to him - the guy is worth $150b. He makes and loses more with a small fluctuation in the share price.

the fine is $100B

[JB2]

If they forfeit 1st round picks, does that result in 29 picks in the 1st round? I know that's what they've done with 2nd rounders recently but it's always seemed a bit unfair to the kids getting drafted. One spot gone is still one spot gone. League should auction those forfeited picks off to highest bidder and use that money for charity. Idea may need some polishing but why just burn a spot outright.

[Mr Funk]

When you take this $28 million scheme into consideration, plus all of tampering on the Clippers' behalf in the 2018-2019 season and that this ultimately cost the Raptors a legitimate chance at repeating as champions, Toronto deserves considerable draft compensation.

The Clippers should have the book thrown at them but there's no no guarantee at all that Kawhi would have otherwise gone back to Toronto. I think it to be at least as likely that he would have landed with the Lakers to team up with LeBron and AD instead.

Kawhi had no interest in playing second fiddle to LeBron.

[Tacoma]

When you take this $28 million scheme into consideration, plus all of tampering on the Clippers' behalf in the 2018-2019 season and that this ultimately cost the Raptors a legitimate chance at repeating as champions, Toronto deserves considerable draft compensation.

The Clippers should have the book thrown at them but there's no no guarantee at all that Kawhi would have otherwise gone back to Toronto. I think it to be at least as likely that he would have landed with the Lakers to team up with LeBron and AD instead.

Kawhi had no interest in playing second fiddle to LeBron.

Toronto had the 2nd best winning % in the NBA in 2019-20 season (more wins than the Clippers) with good chance at back-to-back Championship, yet Kawhi had no interest staying in Toronto. Kawhi also had no interest in joining any team that didn't trade for PG, which severely handicapped Clippers' future ability to improve the team. Kawhi's only interest was self-interest that has resulted in his own demise.

Uncle Dennis is blamed a lot here but he was just the puppet with Kawhi pulling the strings. Balmer is clearly a bad guy too, but to me, Kawhi comes out of this with the blackest of the black eyes. If Kawhi was on the up-and-up and innocent like his "aw shucks" demeanor suggests, this under the table fiasco doesn't happen. If Balmer is forced to sell then Kawhi should be banned for life. Kawhi is the linch pin of this whole ordeal.