What do you think about the Cavs hiring a lawfirrm...

[gflem]

The only thing this shows is that dan gilbert is a lier. He claimed he was over lebron leaving after 24 hours, but that was an obvious lie. Hes a hypocrite too, because he took a 15+ mill trade exception and draft pick from the heat so he should keep his mouth ****. Cleveland can go after carmelo this offseason because of that exception/

"I don't want to go ring-chasing. I want to stay with the Cavs and build a champion."

"I got a goal, and it's a huge goal, and that's to bring an NBA championship here to Cleveland, and I won't stop until I get it."

How does investigating the heat bring the cavs any closer to a championship? Isn't that his #1 goal?

While it may not bring the Cavs closer if it has a negative effect on Miami it would hurt a team that is above the Cavs in the standings. But really, it is about the loss of value to our team and possibly Gilbert looking for revenge too. If Gilbert finds the evidence he is looking for it is also about playing by the rules, or more to the point about Miami not doing so. Add to the fact that if Gilbert can prove that Miami did indeed tamper with Lecon, it would be easier possibly for Toronto to do the same. That could possibly turn out to be a double nut shot to the Heat, Riley and the axis of ego.

[tidho]

The only thing this shows is that dan gilbert is a lier. He claimed he was over lebron leaving after 24 hours, but that was an obvious lie. Hes a hypocrite too, because he took a 15+ mill trade exception and draft pick from the heat so he should keep his mouth ****. Cleveland can go after carmelo this offseason because of that exception/

Wow, you're off. The S&T was the best course of action after a harmful decision was made. It doesn't mean the harmful decision should be ignored if there was wrong doing. Who knows if there was, but it sure does look fishy.

How does investigating the heat bring the cavs any closer to a championship? Isn't that his #1 goal?

Do you believe someone should only take action on a singular goal?
Technically Gilbert said he wanted to win before Miami did. I think if they are found guilty it could be a set back for the Heat if the league chooses to take action. In this case I think Gilbert is looking to cash in on revenue lost...which he could use to reinvest in the team.

[RRT]

S&T is a business move.

[Maternal]

I respects Dan but he's wasting his time. The NBA is a corrupted regime. Lets go a few years back. TMAC was clearly in contact with Orlando before he left Toronto. I'm sure Grant Hill was as well. When they both left without even returing the raptors or piston's phone calls, it was clear some sort of tampering was going on or went on. What did stern do? Nothing. The potential duol of TMAC and Hill in Orlando would generate interest and money for the NBA.

Then you have the corrupted refs. Stern who claims he keeps a close eye on all the refs, and the league reviews each game, happened to miss a corrupted ref? Of course such a negative publicity would destroy the league and bring revenue down. So stern trys to hide this, but there was no way he could do such a thing with the FBI involved. If the FBI wasn't involved no way would we know about this.

Then you have this summer. It's clear the big 3 planned this. Even bosh slipped up during the press conference and said so. Any idiot knows this was fixed. But will stern investigate and break the money making big 3? hell no. They sell out every road game, everyone is talking about the nba,etc. This is sterns meal ticket.

The NBA is a corrupted regime. And like a politician or CEO, Stern's duty is to please the wealthy first and generate income for the league. The fans come absolutely last. The only way to counter this is to boycot the NBA, or Dan finds a way to get the feds involved. Anything else is a waste of time and money.

[gflem]

On that note, does anyone find it curious that the Heat are going getting a disabled player exception? It used to be the player had to miss the majority of a season and into the next season before anything like that was granted didnt it? If I recall it took over a full season for the Cavs to get the exception for Brad Daugherty with his career ending injury.
The Blazers getting one also gives Stern the perfect cover to grant one to the Heat without looking too much like he is trying to help them imo.
Even more curious that Miami's exception is about equal to A Randolph's contract. Wonder if we will be seeing him moved to Miami with the Comish then "helping" facilitate a Melo trade to NY. Just another conspiracy theory to watch I guess.

[CarMalone]

On that note, does anyone find it curious that the Heat are going getting a disabled player exception? It used to be the player had to miss the majority of a season and into the next season before anything like that was granted didnt it? If I recall it took over a full season for the Cavs to get the exception for Brad Daugherty with his career ending injury.
The Blazers getting one also gives Stern the perfect cover to grant one to the Heat without looking too much like he is trying to help them imo.
Even more curious that Miami's exception is about equal to A Randolph's contract. Wonder if we will be seeing him moved to Miami with the Comish then "helping" facilitate a Melo trade to NY. Just another conspiracy theory to watch I guess.

Different rules back in the Daughtery days. The new rules took effect after the latest collective bargaining agreement in 2005.

[gflem]

Thanks, didnt know that. Still love the conspiracy angle though.

[Maternal]

Not a conspiracy at all. Lebrons goaltending against the Kings was uploaded as a highlight on nba.com. Since when is goaltending a highlight? Like I said James and the heat are sterns meal ticket.

[mup]

How does investigating the heat bring the cavs any closer to a championship? Isn't that his #1 goal?

I think his #1 goal is to run a profitable business. Call me crazy.

[BossHoggin]

No chance. LeBron and Wade were players of the month, they have the NBA's backing

[kenneth9265]

More time on building team, less on a player that no longer wants to be in cleveland.

[old rem]

From Larry Coon:

What is tampering?
Tampering is when a player or team directly or indirectly entices, induces or persuades anybody (player, general manager, etc.) who is under contract with another team to negotiate for their services. The NBA may impose stiff penalties if tampering is discovered, however the league's practice has been to wait until a team lodges a complaint before investigating (but that's not to say they don't continue to monitor the leauge and won't take action independently if they discover that tampering has occurred). Here are some examples:

•The Miami Heat were discovered to have tampered with Pat Riley in 1995 by negotiating with Riley while he was still head coach of the New York Knicks. The Heat "settled," and avoided league-imposed penalties, by compensating the Knicks with $1 million and their first round draft pick in 1996.
•After Will Perdue left San Antonio in the 1999 offseason to sign with Chicago, he commented to the press about the possibility of the Bulls signing Tim Duncan and/or Grant Hill in 2000. The league considered this to be tampering, and issued Perdue a warning.
You may have noticed that when general managers and other team personnel talk to the press, they are careful to avoid talking about specific players who play for other teams. They do this in order to avoid tampering.

The problem here...obviously...is that LeBron was a FA awhile before there seemed to be anything said in any public sense. I assume the Cav's did not bug leBron's home or phone...and if they did..good luck using that.

[Jim Brown]

it makes the owner look petty and spiteful and the city desperate to hold on to someone who is already gone. That time, energy and money would be much better spent focused on making the team that is actually here better. Further you cant agree to trade a player and then claim tampering later. At the point Gilbert accepted the trade exception anbd agreed to a sign and trade be became party to the transaction of LeBron leaving. Unless he is suing himself too, how can he alledge tampering in a deal he was involved in and consented to?

[rjgraca]

^Wow, another one of Prince Lebron's crack second rate marketing team got a new ball boy account to blow smoke. If the NBA had a better commissioner, who wasn't stuck in a 1980's mind set, the NBA would have more integrity.

Sterling ripped Stern in owners meeting

Three sources describe an exchange in an owners meeting in Las Vegas a year or so ago: Sterling: You don't want to hear what I have to say. Stern. Yes, we do. Sterling. No you don't. Stern: Yes, we do. Sterling: OK, I would fire you. You're great at marketing, but you're not tough enough with the union.

Los Angeles Times

Read more: http://www.fannation.com/truth_and_rumo ... z1BRyfU0Vk

[Triumph36]

Meh, his post isn't wrong. It could've been a little less condescending, I suppose, but the main points are true. Trying to hire a law firm is desperate and does show signs of bitterness. If - and that's a big if - they are able to prove it somehow, what happens? They take the few picks that Miami still has? LeBron & Riley will laugh. Strip them of the MLE? Not sure if that's possible, and 1 year without it still doesn't do much damage. Void the contracts? Yeah, not happening. It's just not worth it.

That said, I'm starting to think it was just a mindgame Gilbert was trying to play because the Miami game was coming up. At least I hope that was the case. This team - from the players to the GM to the owner and everyone in between - all need to move on and focus on the future and putting this team in the best situation to succeed.

[gflem]

it makes the owner look petty and spiteful and the city desperate to hold on to someone who is already gone. That time, energy and money would be much better spent focused on making the team that is actually here better. Further you cant agree to trade a player and then claim tampering later. At the point Gilbert accepted the trade exception anbd agreed to a sign and trade be became party to the transaction of LeBron leaving. Unless he is suing himself too, how can he alledge tampering in a deal he was involved in and consented to?

Explain how it make the team look like it is trying to hold on to someone that is already gone. The LEGAL DEPARTMENT that is apparently exploring this isnt part of the department of making the team better, that would be the BASKETBALL OPERATIONS department I would think. If tampering is proved by the team (and I dont have any idea that it can be), are you saying that you believe that the league would force Lecon back to the Cavs? Is that where the "hold on to someone" part of your post comes from? I'll give you more credit than that, obviously that wouldnt happen.
More likely is that if there is tangible proof the team would look for monetary damages to recoup the loss in the overall value of the team. As for the owner being spiteful, well since Lecon was so forthright in his dealings with the team after the playoff loss, it would seem an eye for an eye in that regard. And as for the city being desperate to hold on, well we have moved on so you can believe what you want, but until I see signs at the Q saying "please come back" it is more of your imagination than anything else.
As for the trade exception, Lecon was already gone and the team agreed to get something for him after the fact. The alleged tampering happened long before the trade, while Lecon was under contract with the Cavs, and while Wade was a player under contract with the Heat. Unless there is some statute of limitations the alleged illegal agreement would have happened independantly from the trade.

[Jim Brown]

it makes the owner look petty and spiteful and the city desperate to hold on to someone who is already gone. That time, energy and money would be much better spent focused on making the team that is actually here better. Further you cant agree to trade a player and then claim tampering later. At the point Gilbert accepted the trade exception anbd agreed to a sign and trade be became party to the transaction of LeBron leaving. Unless he is suing himself too, how can he alledge tampering in a deal he was involved in and consented to?

Explain how it make the team look like it is trying to hold on to someone that is already gone. The LEGAL DEPARTMENT that is apparently exploring this isnt part of the department of making the team better, that would be the BASKETBALL OPERATIONS department I would think. If tampering is proved by the team (and I dont have any idea that it can be), are you saying that you believe that the league would force Lecon back to the Cavs? Is that where the "hold on to someone" part of your post comes from? I'll give you more credit than that, obviously that wouldnt happen.
More likely is that if there is tangible proof the team would look for monetary damages to recoup the loss in the overall value of the team. As for the owner being spiteful, well since Lecon was so forthright in his dealings with the team after the playoff loss, it would seem an eye for an eye in that regard. And as for the city being desperate to hold on, well we have moved on so you can believe what you want, but until I see signs at the Q saying "please come back" it is more of your imagination than anything else.
As for the trade exception, Lecon was already gone and the team agreed to get something for him after the fact. The alleged tampering happened long before the trade, while Lecon was under contract with the Cavs, and while Wade was a player under contract with the Heat. Unless there is some statute of limitations the alleged illegal agreement would have happened independantly from the trade.

My reply to you is simple, it has already been established as a legal fact that once you agree to a sign and trade and recieve compensation, you cannot sue the other team for anything. Let me give you a simplistic example. You catch me eyeing your car and trying to get in it, you offer to sell it to me and I provide you compensation. When I drive off you cannot call the police and say I was breaking in your car or trying to steal it. You sold it. At the point Gilbert willingly agreed to a sign and trade, it was no longer Bron leaving as a free agent but rather officially (legally) he was traded. I realize it sounds like splitting hairs but it is what Gilberts lawyers will tell him after they bill him for as many hours as possible, and it is definitely what David Stern will tell him. While I agree it does not reflect badly on the players (they have no control over the owner), it absolutely makes the owner look desperate and spiteful. I understand his anger but it would be better used if he used to fuel putting a better team together than trying to get even.

[gflem]

I agree totally that Stern will tell Gilbert as much. And I agree that moving on is probably best. And maybe his legal department is using this as a means of padding thier pockets and or justifying their existence. I dont know that a precedent has been legally established though.
Common sense would seem to agree with your point, and I am not arguing with you on that either, but as to what they may be pursuing. Does that make Gilbert look desperate? Sure I can see that, but if he feels he has a valid issue I dont think anybody is going to persuade him to drop it. And as somebody said earlier about the timing of the announcement, it may have been more PR than anything.
I have a question for you, do you think that if tampering several years ago can be proved, does that then allow for damages to the overall value of the team before the trade? Like your simplistic example about the car, if I can prove that you had previously damaged the vehicle (in order to lower its value) then purchased said vehicle for a much lower price due to said damage, are you not liable for purposely decreasing the value in the first place? The SEC puts people in jail for this kind of stuff in regards to stock values doesnt it?

[Jim Brown]

Anything can be litigated, and we certainly live in a litigious society. I would have never thought a jury would award someone millions of dollars for spilling hot coffee on themselves because McDonalds did not warn them that coffee is hot. However in the case of the NBA the owners are a fraternity i.e. their wealth and the success of their investment is tied to each other. I do not believe they would allow Gilbert to sabotage that at the expense of his personal issues ith LeBron unless there was concrete proof of something egregious. Every team gauges and discusses interest in players while they are signed. Do you honestly think teams have not put out feelers to Melo and had their players attempt to looby him? They will not allow an ownwe to sue for something they all do. I guarantee Gilbert asked LeBron to lobby Bosh and Wade to come to Cleveland, he would have to sanction himself.