09-03-2026, 09:23 AM
Random thoughts from reading/listening since yesterday...
- The outside income was requested by KL's uncle/agent. According to Jeanie Buss he requested the same (and more!) from the Lakers and when they said no quickly moved on to the Clippers. This is important because it gives KL deniability, which he apparently has used successfully even though he still benefitted millions from the deals. I'm sure Unc got his cut as well.
- the $700k reimbursement KL has to pay is not a fine for the outside deals, but to pay back benefits the team funded that were not allowed by the CBA. Expenses like travel, housing, etc., that KL should have paid back at the time. Essentially, it appears KL is clean of the outside deal making.
- I don't know if it's group think among NBA analysts, but there seems to be a consensus that there is no appeal process under the current CBA. So any follow up actions will be through legal actions. But, to my small mind, this gets complicated because the ownership agreed to abide by the CBA in the first place, so how do you sue for relief without voiding the CBA first, which will be a much bigger deal. Never mind that there is likely some type of language in the ownership agreements to limit what an owner can do against league management. I remember Jerry Jones was PO'ed at the NFL's extension of Goodell a few years back and they threatened to disenfranchise him if he didn't play ball. Just wondering if there is that kind of leverage with the NBA. I mean they forced Sterling to sell to Ballmer, didn't they?
- The lost FRPs and suspensions are consistent with punishment in the Joe Smith case after MIN was caught dealing off the books, so there is precedent for the penalties Silver handed down.
- The $30M fine is peanuts to Ballmer. It's been reported that he gets $300M in QUARTERLY dividends from his Microsoft stock holdings.
- The lost FRPs are going to hurt. It will make a total of 10 FRPs it cost the LAC's to sign KL. That has to be some kind of record. They are getting some FRPs back from TOR in the KL trade, which makes the conspiracy radar in my head wonder if that wasn't the intention in the first place. KL gets away with minimal punishment while LAC takes the whacking for all the shady deals, but compensation for KL's departure keeps the well from running totally dry.
- As pointed out earlier, LACs don't control the next two years either. One unprotected trade and one swap.
- LACs, going back a LOT of years, has to be the most snake-bitten team in the NBA. Even when they had Paul/Jordan/Griffin there was always an injury or something that killed their chances. Not feeling sorry for them, just sayin'.