AROUND the NBA:

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The Ringer: “It's starting to seem like he might actually go to jail." @BillSimmons and @SammyKoppelman on why the Mark Walter situation is looking more and more sketchy. Mark Walter has been looking for cash to fund billions of dollars in loans for months, and he isn't just trying to sell his sports assets. According to @Ourand_Puck, Mark Walter engaged Charter Communications to see whether the company wanted to exit its local TV deals for the Lakers and Dodgers several years early in exchange for a lump-sum payment, but those talks went nowhere. The Dodgers currently have one of the best local TV deals in sports — 25 years, $8.35 billion for an average of $334 million annually — but Walter was willing to exit the deal early in exchange for upfront cash today. That's crazy.

x.com

[HoosierDaddyKid]

https://bsky.app/profile/hoopshypeoffici...kacpbvmk2c


With his new contract in tow, James Harden rises to 7th in career earnings.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

NBA star Anthony Edwards is now on the hook for $14K a month in child support to his ex, Alexandria Descroches, and the money is for a kid he claims he's never even met. According to court docs, obtained by TMZ, the amount was determined based on the Minnesota Timberwolves guard's monthly income of nearly $4.8 million ... and the figure represents a massive increase over the baseline amount of around $3,200 per month. Alexandria was asking for a higher amount in child support. In addition to child support, the judge ordered Anthony to take out a life insurance policy worth around $2.6 million with Alexandria named as the primary beneficiary ... and pay Alexandria's legal fees totaling more than $21K. Alexandria and Anthony share a son named Amir, born in 2023. The docs note that Anthony admitted under oath that he never met his son in person and is not seeking to have any parenting time with the kid.

TMZ.com

Crazy, ain't it?

[HoosierDaddyKid]

Nikola Jokic spoke highly of Victor Wembanyama, making it clear that he does not view their matchup as a personal rivalry. “He is a special opponent because he is unique as a player and as a person. I don’t see him as a rival, and I don’t take this personally. He has the opportunity to be the most unique basketball player we’ve ever seen – to be the best.” Jokic also spoke about Payton Wetson’s trade to the Cleveland Cavaliers. “I’m happy for Peyton. He’s a really good guy, brings great energy and is a positive presence in the locker room. We’ll definitely miss him, but I can’t be unhappy for him. He’s truly a great person. “

EuroHoops.net

[windjc]

https://bsky.app/profile/hoopshypeoffici...kacpbvmk2c


With his new contract in tow, James Harden rises to 7th in career earnings.

And people complain about our contracts. LOL!

[Chicagojk]

[Charania] American business leader Marc Stad has completed a deal to become the controlling owner and largest shareholder of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx by buying the majority of co-owner Marc Lore’s stake at a $4.5 billion valuation, sources tell ESPN.

*************
seems to be a lot of teams changing hands.   Trying to see if it is something more or just owners jumping on the wave with the high valuations?  With expansion coming, supposedly teams will be getting more influx of cash.   Still though, feels weird with all the teams being sold.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

[Charania] American business leader Marc Stad has completed a deal to become the controlling owner and largest shareholder of the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves and WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx by buying the majority of co-owner Marc Lore’s stake at a $4.5 billion valuation, sources tell ESPN.

*************
seems to be a lot of teams changing hands.   Trying to see if it is something more or just owners jumping on the wave with the high valuations?  With expansion coming, supposedly teams will be getting more influx of cash.   Still though, feels weird with all the teams being sold.

interesting video I saw earlier today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hyhVMsakdE&t=1214s

I'm starting to find myself becoming disenfranchised (is that the right word?) with sports and how much passion I have for my teams.  There was something charming about Mark Cuban or George Steinbrenner owning your team.  They were fans like us.  With the uber billionaires and private equity starting to take over, there is a growing disconnect.

Maybe I'm off.  Seems like most fans just care about winning or losing.  Dont care if you have the Adelsons owning the team as long as it gives us a competitive advantage.  I find less of a connection to the team or maybe no longer mind myself compelled to care as much.

[windjc]

interesting video I saw earlier today

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hyhVMsakdE&t=1214s

I'm starting to find myself becoming disenfranchised (is that the right word?) with sports and how much passion I have for my teams.  There was something charming about Mark Cuban or George Steinbrenner owning your team.  They were fans like us.  With the uber billionaires and private equity starting to take over, there is a growing disconnect.

Maybe I'm off.  Seems like most fans just care about winning or losing.  Dont care if you have the Adelsons owning the team as long as it gives us a competitive advantage.  I find less of a connection to the team or maybe no longer mind myself compelled to care as much.

You liked Cuban because he was a fan?? 

I prefer competence and maturity. But hey, that’s just me.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The gray area of who’s in and who’s out is the holdup for now. Sources said the league -- which declined comment -- envisions a scenario in Year 1 where local telecasts for at least 25 teams are streamed and geofenced exclusively in one place. Meanwhile, perhaps four more franchises (minus the Raptors, who have an ironclad deal with Rogers Communications) could simulcast games in the hub and arrive full-time later in waves. That would make 29. The more teams, the merrier. Sources believe if the NBA can offer YouTube 29 clubs, it will want roughly $1.2B in return. Then, the league would siphon off rights fees to each team individually, based on market value. For instance, the Heat and Sixers would get a larger piece of the $1.2B pie than the Grizzlies or Pelicans but likely less than the Lakers and Knicks (two unknowns who we’ll get to). The NBA media rights deal 2.0 is all about local broadcasts and the cha-ching that could come with it. Sources tell SBJ that the NBA and YouTube remain in advanced talks about a 2027-28 aggregated hub for 20 to 25 teams -- and eventually 29 of the league’s 30 clubs -- for a potential price tag north of $1B. Some in the industry expect either a deal or a stalemate by possibly this fall -- the latter of which could open the door for DAZN, ESPN or Amazon. But as of now, sources contend YouTube (whose head of sports and live partnerships, Jen Chun, spent nine years at the league office) is the favorite to acquire the moving target that is local NBA TV. But if the NBA can only provide 25 teams or fewer in aggregate, sources said YouTube may offer in the $850M range instead of the $1B-plus. Either way, YouTube would hope to earn much of its money back through subscriptions, with likely a nine-year deal (including a five-year option) that would expire just as the league’s 11-year, $77B media national deal ends.

Sports Business Journal


I don't know how you guys feel about it, but this streaming of all sports is getting expensive and is off the rails.

[ballsrchr]

The gray area of who’s in and who’s out is the holdup for now. Sources said the league -- which declined comment -- envisions a scenario in Year 1 where local telecasts for at least 25 teams are streamed and geofenced exclusively in one place. Meanwhile, perhaps four more franchises (minus the Raptors, who have an ironclad deal with Rogers Communications) could simulcast games in the hub and arrive full-time later in waves. That would make 29. The more teams, the merrier. Sources believe if the NBA can offer YouTube 29 clubs, it will want roughly $1.2B in return. Then, the league would siphon off rights fees to each team individually, based on market value. For instance, the Heat and Sixers would get a larger piece of the $1.2B pie than the Grizzlies or Pelicans but likely less than the Lakers and Knicks (two unknowns who we’ll get to). The NBA media rights deal 2.0 is all about local broadcasts and the cha-ching that could come with it. Sources tell SBJ that the NBA and YouTube remain in advanced talks about a 2027-28 aggregated hub for 20 to 25 teams -- and eventually 29 of the league’s 30 clubs -- for a potential price tag north of $1B. Some in the industry expect either a deal or a stalemate by possibly this fall -- the latter of which could open the door for DAZN, ESPN or Amazon. But as of now, sources contend YouTube (whose head of sports and live partnerships, Jen Chun, spent nine years at the league office) is the favorite to acquire the moving target that is local NBA TV.  But if the NBA can only provide 25 teams or fewer in aggregate, sources said YouTube may offer in the $850M range instead of the $1B-plus. Either way, YouTube would hope to earn much of its money back through subscriptions, with likely a nine-year deal (including a five-year option) that would expire just as the league’s 11-year, $77B media national deal ends.

Sports Business Journal


I don't know how you guys feel about it, but this streaming of all sports is getting expensive and is off the rails.

When streaming started I liked it.  It was basically free in the stone ages!  Now it's getting expensive and I'm gonna have to start consolidating.  The only bright spot I have is an over the air TV antenna that goes to a TV tuner on one of my computers.  It works great and is the only way I can watch Mavs games.  I can sign up to streaming services, but almost all of the games are blacked out because "I live in the viewing area"...which is horse hockey.  I live out in the boondocks more than a hundred miles from--almost anything.  As for internet I have to have at least 2, sometimes 3, providers to maintain service at all times.  Ah...the joys of living in the boondocks.

Oh...I'm hearing that the TV broadcasters are wanting to stop the federally mandated OA service.  Life is good!

[Knutsen]

Just saw some pictures of new look Luka - the guy looks like a Scandinavian model right now, no more chubby Luka.

Maybe being single helped? At least for me that was always the case…

If he stays free of injuries I‘m expecting his best season so far.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

The booming business of sports has attracted a flood of private-equity investment, and even the most notable franchises require the influx of cash to keep up in the arms race. As of May, more than 74 North American professional teams had some level of private-equity involvement, according to the CFA Institute, an organization providing finance education to investment professionals. Private-equity-backed consolidators have been responsible for 61% of all mergers and acquisition transactions in the sports industry since 2019, according to Oaklins, a global M&A and financial advisory company. For private equity — in which investors buy into companies that aren’t available on the public market — sports offer safe harbor. Media deals provide predictable revenue over several years. The NBA’s current deal that stretches to the 2035-36 season is worth $6.9 billion per year. Additional revenue streams with merchandise, sponsorships and ticket sales pile on. Owning an arena, which the Lakers do not, opens the floodgates for concerts and events that add to the revenue.

Los Angeles Times

[HoosierDaddyKid]

There may be no bigger fan of Scottie Barnes than Darko Rajakovic. The Toronto Raptors head coach recently sat down for an interview in his native Serbia, during which he likened the franchise star to one of the all-time greats. "I think there is no coach and there is no success for a coach without players," the bench boss — about to enter his fourth season holding the clipboard in Toronto — began explaining in Serbian. "You look at all our greatest coaches, who are fantastic ... they all became great coaches by taking care of the players, and I think that's on every level ... there's no Phil Jackson without Michael Jordan. My Michael Jordan is Scottie Barnes."

SportsNet

[Dundalis]

Just saw some pictures of new look Luka - the guy looks like a Scandinavian model right now, no more chubby Luka.

Maybe being single helped? At least for me that was always the case…

If he stays free of injuries I‘m expecting his best season so far.

Def hoping for him to show out... and the rest of the team to fall on their ass. I know some Mavs fans don't want him back, but if there's even a slim chance of it happening im hoping for all those pieces that need to fall into place for it to happen, to occur.

[Chicagojk]

ESPN has Dallas 10th in the west behind the Clippers, Jazz, and WArriors.  I will be disappointed if the Clippers have a better record than Dallas.     

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4964...-standings

[Chicagojk]

ESPN has Dallas 10th in the west behind the Clippers, Jazz, and WArriors.  I will be disappointed if the Clippers have a better record than Dallas.     

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/4964...-standings

I think the Suns will be interesting.  I think they have had a solid offseason.  Getting pick #30 and a few of their picks last year had strong summer leagues.   I don't think Peat helps this year, but Maluach very well may.

They entered the season last year with a lot of people thinking they were one of the worst teams in the west.   They wound up overachieving maybe more than any team last year.   They appear to be tapped out on really rising and they are asset poor.    They really played hard though.   They could be a team hurt most with teams not actively tanking though.   It will be interesting to see if they fall back some.

[RoyTarpleysGhost]

delete

[HoosierDaddyKid]

I think the Suns will be interesting.  I think they have had a solid offseason.  Getting pick #30 and a few of their picks last year had strong summer leagues.   I don't think Peat helps this year, but Maluach very well may.

They entered the season last year with a lot of people thinking they were one of the worst teams in the west.   They wound up overachieving maybe more than any team last year.   They appear to be tapped out on really rising and they are asset poor.    They really played hard though.   They could be a team hurt most with teams not actively tanking though.   It will be interesting to see if they fall back some.

I think the Jazz are a team to watch. They have some nice pieces. I expect some improvement.

[HoosierDaddyKid]

When LeBron James signed up to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to NBA glory with a $154 million contract in 2018, it wasn’t the biggest deal he did that year. Just months before he joined, a limited liability company he controls borrowed almost $300 million from a pair of Midwestern life insurers advised by an arm of Guggenheim Partners, according to insurance industry records reviewed by Bloomberg. The previously unreported bonds, which are due in 2049, were structured to provide immediate cash to James and backed by a stream of future revenue tied to his earnings outside basketball such as a lifetime Nike Inc. sponsorship, people with knowledge of the matter said. The burst of lending began before Guggenheim leader Mark Walter started acquiring the storied basketball team. In an abrupt turn this month, the billionaire mogul agreed to sell the Lakers amid a federal probe into parts of his business empire. There’s no indication that the loans to James have anything to do with those inquiries. Athletes and artists are increasingly using future earnings like royalties and licensing deals to structure deals that help them unlock immediate capital. David Bowie was famously the first recording artist to go to Wall Street to tap the future earnings of his music, paving the way for a thriving market for esoteric securities. The “transactions were a securitization done by Mr. James with his personal, non-NBA salary, assets and income which is a very common financial structure for an individual with this level of earnings and assets,” a spokesperson for James said. “Both transactions were independently credit rated by a third party and the 2022 transaction was fully approved by NBA,” James’ spokesperson said, noting the athlete had no affiliation with Guggenheim, Sammons, North American Co. or Midland National beyond their participation in the transactions.

Bloomberg

[Chicagojk]

I think the Jazz are a team to watch. They have some nice pieces. I expect some improvement.

Yes, I thought they were a good deal ahead of the Mavs heading into the offseason.  With them losing Kessler, I think the Mavs are now a little closer.  They are set up pretty well though.   They have Clev and Lakers picks and both could or could not be good.  I believe they still have Timberwolves picks.  So they have a lot of assets to play around with.  

It will be interesting to see if they can get into the PHX, Portland range.   Could they get higher?   There roster has been playing like 40 games a year the last few though.    They might be in a culture shock when the coach expects them to play every game this year though