- 92,336
- 128,056
Yeah I probably should have put a disclaimer that Sheridan's been extremely optimistic since the beginning.
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Dude's still on that Dirk high. Even Germany not making the Olympics won't ruin it for him.Originally Posted by Air Freshh 23
Where Japanair21 at?probably enjoying life
Dude's still on that Dirk high. Even Germany not making the Olympics won't ruin it for him.Originally Posted by Air Freshh 23
Where Japanair21 at?probably enjoying life
Originally Posted by Mamba MVP
There will be no NBA before the New Year, I want so badly to be wrong, but I've said that from the beginning and honestly only us hardcore fans will even miss it. Football season overshadows everything.
Originally Posted by Mamba MVP
There will be no NBA before the New Year, I want so badly to be wrong, but I've said that from the beginning and honestly only us hardcore fans will even miss it. Football season overshadows everything.
Originally Posted by AntBanks81
The Melo/Pando pic killed it, I had to start fresh...lets go CBA negotiations
Bulls fans, we going through an onion of the loud on opening night
Originally Posted by AntBanks81
The Melo/Pando pic killed it, I had to start fresh...lets go CBA negotiations
Bulls fans, we going through an onion of the loud on opening night
Signs of progress in New York
Commissioner David Stern said the talks had been "intense." He said it's "getting to be an important time."
And he announced that next week's CBA talks would expand to include each side's full negotiating committees.
Deputy commissioner Adam Silver chastised a reporter for suggesting there have been no new proposals lately.
But the person who dropped the biggest hints that there is real movement in talks to salvage an NBA season from labor strife was union president Derek Fisher.
The two sides have agreed not to characterize the talks to the media. And in the spirit of keeping that promise, Stern and Fisher peppered their talks with let's-not-get-carried-away language. Stern said "I don't know if it's positive or negative" that the groups meeting will expand next week. Similarly, Fisher explained "it doesn't imply that we're somehow on the verge" and added that "we still haven't found that place where we can come out and say here's where we are, here's where progress is being made."
But it's hard to talk for 15 unscripted minutes, as Fisher did, without dropping some hints as to what has happened behind closed doors.
The most alarming of the hints came when Fisher explained expanding the meetings: "From our perspective, we want to make sure that our executive committee members who aren't in the room are able to really fully understand the deal, the deal points, all the information that's being thrown around the room, all the ideas that we're going back and forth with."
A deal? Deal points? There are deal points?
Fisher made no further references to "a deal," and surely he could have been using the word as a general term, to encapsulate "all the ideas" that have been bandied about.
But if you're looking for optimistic lines, you'd find several more from Fisher:It would be a mistake to draw a very strong conclusion from these tea leaves. But it would also seem to be a mistake for a sense of doom to dominate among NBA fans. Not with the union president saying things like "deal points," "that has worked well," "what has taken place over the last week or so," "attempt at large progress" and marveling about how different things are from when the lockout started.
- "We haven't wasted our time."
- "At some point, before you can try to make any attempt at large progress, you have to involve all the prospective members that are potentially going to make the decision. So we thought it was best to try and do it at this time."
- "We're trying to put together a pretty large puzzle with a lot of pieces. Until we get the pieces to fit right, it's just not fair to try and put labels on things. It's just best to stay focused on how we're going to figure this out. We feel like that has worked well."
- "We still have to make sure, at least from our perspective, that our group is aware before we can make any decisions. It's one thing to have a conference call as an executive committee. It's another thing for our guys to really see what has taken place over the last week or so."
- "We actually are negotiating. To think about where we are from July 1 to now, in terms of just the process itself, what is being discussed, what type of deal it will end up being, we've put in a lot of time. We'll continue that process and see if we can get a fair deal done as soon as possible."
Not with the union president talking about making decisions, a step that would have to be preceded by an offer or proposal to decide on.
Clearly, important things have happened.
And then there's the case of the now-deleted tweet that union vice president Roger Mason Jr. may or may not have made on Wednesday, saying it looks like there will be a season after all. (Mason says his phone was hacked.)
Fisher was asked if Mason made comment with knowledge of the talks or not. Fisher's first answer was "I'm not sure, to be honest."
He then went on to explain that it was an "alleged tweet" and an investigation is underway into what exactly happened with Mason's phone on Wednesday -- perhaps it was hacked. Fisher also added that certainly now Mason has been fully informed about the state of talks.
But you see how he answered that initially, saying "I'm not sure"? From where Fisher's sitting, in other words, someone with real knowledge of the talks might tweet something like that. If the talks weren't going well, very well even, that'd be impossible.
Link
Signs of progress in New York
Commissioner David Stern said the talks had been "intense." He said it's "getting to be an important time."
And he announced that next week's CBA talks would expand to include each side's full negotiating committees.
Deputy commissioner Adam Silver chastised a reporter for suggesting there have been no new proposals lately.
But the person who dropped the biggest hints that there is real movement in talks to salvage an NBA season from labor strife was union president Derek Fisher.
The two sides have agreed not to characterize the talks to the media. And in the spirit of keeping that promise, Stern and Fisher peppered their talks with let's-not-get-carried-away language. Stern said "I don't know if it's positive or negative" that the groups meeting will expand next week. Similarly, Fisher explained "it doesn't imply that we're somehow on the verge" and added that "we still haven't found that place where we can come out and say here's where we are, here's where progress is being made."
But it's hard to talk for 15 unscripted minutes, as Fisher did, without dropping some hints as to what has happened behind closed doors.
The most alarming of the hints came when Fisher explained expanding the meetings: "From our perspective, we want to make sure that our executive committee members who aren't in the room are able to really fully understand the deal, the deal points, all the information that's being thrown around the room, all the ideas that we're going back and forth with."
A deal? Deal points? There are deal points?
Fisher made no further references to "a deal," and surely he could have been using the word as a general term, to encapsulate "all the ideas" that have been bandied about.
But if you're looking for optimistic lines, you'd find several more from Fisher:It would be a mistake to draw a very strong conclusion from these tea leaves. But it would also seem to be a mistake for a sense of doom to dominate among NBA fans. Not with the union president saying things like "deal points," "that has worked well," "what has taken place over the last week or so," "attempt at large progress" and marveling about how different things are from when the lockout started.
- "We haven't wasted our time."
- "At some point, before you can try to make any attempt at large progress, you have to involve all the prospective members that are potentially going to make the decision. So we thought it was best to try and do it at this time."
- "We're trying to put together a pretty large puzzle with a lot of pieces. Until we get the pieces to fit right, it's just not fair to try and put labels on things. It's just best to stay focused on how we're going to figure this out. We feel like that has worked well."
- "We still have to make sure, at least from our perspective, that our group is aware before we can make any decisions. It's one thing to have a conference call as an executive committee. It's another thing for our guys to really see what has taken place over the last week or so."
- "We actually are negotiating. To think about where we are from July 1 to now, in terms of just the process itself, what is being discussed, what type of deal it will end up being, we've put in a lot of time. We'll continue that process and see if we can get a fair deal done as soon as possible."
Not with the union president talking about making decisions, a step that would have to be preceded by an offer or proposal to decide on.
Clearly, important things have happened.
And then there's the case of the now-deleted tweet that union vice president Roger Mason Jr. may or may not have made on Wednesday, saying it looks like there will be a season after all. (Mason says his phone was hacked.)
Fisher was asked if Mason made comment with knowledge of the talks or not. Fisher's first answer was "I'm not sure, to be honest."
He then went on to explain that it was an "alleged tweet" and an investigation is underway into what exactly happened with Mason's phone on Wednesday -- perhaps it was hacked. Fisher also added that certainly now Mason has been fully informed about the state of talks.
But you see how he answered that initially, saying "I'm not sure"? From where Fisher's sitting, in other words, someone with real knowledge of the talks might tweet something like that. If the talks weren't going well, very well even, that'd be impossible.
Link
Atlanta Hawks, Alex Meruelo | UNCLEAR: The Hawks are transitioning from one of the messiest ownership situations in NBA history (co-owners suing each other) to a business-minded new owner in Alex Meruelo. Hard to know who will cast the Hawks' vote, let alone what that person is thinking. | The Hawks have a big market, but bad revenue. They are very interested in revenue sharing ... if the formula is right. |
Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck | HAWK: But it's complicated. The Celtics are due for a fantastic new media deal, which will be one of the best in the league. Once that's official, revenues will be strong, and then the focus may shift to the reality that this roster has a short window. With short-term TV money and a strong roster, worries are more about years from now -- the owners' long offers are tailor made to that. | The Celtics would be payers in any revenue sharing, especially when their new local TV deal is complete. |
Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan | HAWK: Jordan is in something of a pickle. As a player he was strongly in favor of high player salaries. As an owner in a small market, he needs to pay players very little without being made to look cheap. A hard cap would be great for him. | Together with Herb Kohl of the Bucks, Jordan made a presentation to owners arguing for very strong revenue sharing. |
Chicago Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf | DOVE: Reinsdorf is seen as close to David Stern, and likely to go along with the commissioner when it's time to make a deal. Also, his team makes money, has reasonable salaries, and is on the rise, so playing the season is good for him. | As a high revenue team in a huge market, with plenty to lose, Reinsdorf is said to be tepid on revenue sharing. |
Cleveland Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert | HAWK: Gilbert is said to be a very strong hawk, and even willing to miss the season. Missing what is slated to be a rotten season on the court is palatable and getting closer to the end of Baron Davis' deal would be a blessing. Also, keeping LeBron James and the Heat from any chance of winning the 2012 title would be OK. | Aggressively and enthusiastically for it, although it is not thought that Gilbert has influence with many other owners. |
Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban | HAWK: Cuban's position is that he'll spend as much as the league will allow him to spend, so he would very much like it if spending the max didn't put him so deep in the red. | Cuban is against aggressive revenue sharing. Dallas is a good market, and the Mavericks have good revenue, but the team is not profitable so Cuban may be leery of writing checks to other owners. |
Denver Nuggets, Stan Kroenke | HAWK: As owner of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, Kroenke knows well the powers of missing a season to stick it to the players, and word is he's more than happy to repeat that process in the NBA. | The Nuggets are said to be strongly in favor of aggressive revenue sharing. |
Detroit Pistons, Tom Gores | HAWK: The Pistons were once a good business. Gores -- an L.A. based private equity investor -- is intent to run the team like a business and wants all the help he can get from a new CBA. | Tom Gores plays his cards close to his chest, but the armchair analysis is that his team would likely be in a beneficiary in most systems. |
Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob, Peter Guber | DOVE: Lacob and Guber are said to be in a strong financial position in an excellent market. Playing this season is unlikely to hurt them. What's more, they have an overhaul to complete. | Lacob and Guber paid so much for their team so they could reap the rewards of their big, lucrative market. Who in their right mind would want to share the benefits of that investment with the Grizzlies? |
Houston Rockets, Leslie Alexander | DOVE: The Rockets have an excellent TV deal and are very well run -- they don't have the same pressure other teams have to change the status quo. | Like the Spurs, the Rockets are doing just fine, thank you very much, and don't need big changes to the status quo. |
Indiana Pacers, Herb Simon | DOVE: The Pacers have coped with poor results on the court and on the business side. However, they appear to be turning the corner, have reasonable contracts and are becoming bullish on the future. Simon is said not to want a long lockout, and would go for a reasonable new CBA, so long as it comes with good revenue sharing. | The Pacers are incredibly enthusiastic about aggressive revenue sharing, of which they expect to be major recipients. |
Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling | DOVE: Sterling is aggressively in favor of anything that makes him money, and was a critic of the last CBA, which he thinks was a giveaway to the players. Nevertheless, he makes money from his NBA team right now and is more than happy to let the Blake Griffin money machine keep rolling. | Very tricky subject for the Clippers. They have a huge market but a lousy TV deal. Under city-sized formulas they'd be payers. |
Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry Buss | DOVE: The Lakers have good revenues which they'd like to keep collecting. Jerry Buss is close to David Stern, and likely to support any deal the league is pushing. | The Lakers stand to lose the most in revenue sharing, by far. Reports are conflicting about whether or not they have accepted the idea of paying tens of millions per season. This is a huge issue. |
Memphis Grizzlies, Michael Heisley | HAWK: The Grizzlies have one of the toughest business challenges in sports. Heisley is eager for big changes, including a team-by-team hard cap to keep costs down. | Revenue sharing could change everything for the Grizzlies' bottom line, as the team is perfectly positioned to benefit in a major way. |
Miami Heat, Micky Arison | DOVE: Arison is a respected moderate among owners, and is liable to be influential. This time around, business is looking up as the clock ticking on a team in its championship window, so he'd like to play. | The Heat, likely in line to pay only a little, are moderates on the the issue of revenue sharing. |
Milwaukee Bucks, Herb Kohl | HAWK: Kohl is "as hardcore as anyone" in agitating for big changes, according to one insider. | Herb Kohl made a presentation to owners in Dallas, with Michael Jordan, that called for very robust revenue sharing. |
Minnesota Timberwolves, Glen Taylor | HAWK: Taylor has lost a lot of money on his Timberwolves, and would presumably like to lose less. But he is said to be looking for incremental improvement, not a profound overhaul. | The Timberwolves could be big recipients, and are said to be pounding the pavement hard on this issue. |
New Jersey Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov | DOVE: Prokhorov bought a money-losing team and has been resolute about turning a profit, which would suggest "hawk." On the other hand, he's determined to make a big arrival in Brooklyn in 2012, where local TV and sponsorship prospects are bright. That requires a healthy, happy Deron Williams in uniform. | A huge dilemma of revenue sharing is how to handle market size. Clippers and Nets are in huge metro areas, but have nothing like the revenues of the Lakers and Knicks. |
New Orleans Hornets, NBA | DOVE: As the NBA owns the team, the good money is that this vote will echo whatever Stern wants. And by the time Stern presents a deal to owners for their votes, it's a sure thing he'll want it to pass. | The Hornets stand to be beneficiaries of aggressive revenue sharing, and therefore for it. |
New York Knicks, James Dolan | DOVE: For all the jokes about Dolan's leadership in basketball, his Knicks are a lucrative, fine-tuned business. Not to mention, they have a roster that's generating excitement. On the other hand, they have one year left before potentially having the cap space to bring in another big name -- a 2012 return would be OK. | Stern insists the big market owners are united in favoring more revenue sharing. But how much? The Knicks trail only the Lakers as likely payers. |
Oklahoma City Thunder, Clay Bennett | DOVE: It would be a hell of a season for the Thunder to miss -- this is their time. Not to mention, Clay Bennett runs a successful business. | Under some revenue formulas, the moneymaking Thunder would be payers. Given their market size, that's a condemnation of how most of the owners run their teams. |
Orlando Magic, Richard DeVos | DOVE: With Dwight Howard in his prime and the best arena in the NBA, they want to win now. One big caveat: They're fighting hard for provisions that would make it hard for Howard to leave, such as limiting free agency or creating a cap that would make it hard for a big salary team like the Lakers to sign the big man. | Not big on it. Should help them but word is they haven't pushed for it. |
Philadelphia 76ers, Josh Harris | HAWK: Nobody knows Harris, nor if he'll be approved as an owner in time to vote on this deal. But like Gores, he has a business background, and negotiated a favorable price to buy the team. Signs are he intends to watch the bottom line closely. | The 76ers are unlikely to collect or pay much, which makes this not much of an issue for them. |
Phoenix Suns, Robert Sarver | HAWK: When you ask around about Sarver, there is no doubt. He wants a much better CBA for owners. | Sarver is strongly in favor of revenue sharing, although the Suns are unlikely to realize a ton of income. |
Portland Trail Blazers, Paul Allen | HAWK: Allen's team regularly sells out games, has tremendous local TV ratings, and now even has largely reasonable salaries, but is a persistent money-loser. Like Cuban in Dallas, Allen would like to spend whatever it takes to win, but would like that amount to keep him from broad financial pain. | The Blazers may benefit from revenue sharing, if nothing else because a lot of the competition -- the Lakers, Rockets, Spurs and Thunder -- would likely be payers. |
Sacramento Kings, Joe and Gavin Maloof | HAWK: The Kings need, essentially, a miracle. A radical CBA win for owners is the best chance they've got. Also, they could be among the owners who would profit from a lockout. | The Kings stand to benefit mightily from just about every revenue sharing plan now on the table. |
San Antonio Spurs, Peter Holt | HAWK: Holt is aware that his small-market team needed to win the lottery twice to create a profit. He'd like to address that meaningfully, so his team can stay in the black. On the other hand, there are limits to this hawkishness: One of Tim Duncan's few remaining years of high productivity would be a steep price. Also, the Spurs may be the best-run team in the league. | See the Thunder entry above. |
Toronto Raptors, Larry Tannenbaum | HAWK: The same owners weathered an NHL lockout, and in Canada hockey is the national religion. This is nothing compared to that. | The Raptors have a very good local media deal, which would make them payers in most systems, so aggressive revenue sharing is not their favorite idea. |
Utah Jazz, Greg Miller | HAWK: The Jazz paid through the nose for a competitive team most of the last decade -- money that's tough to make up in a small market without a different CBA. Miller also just lost a star player, Deron Williams, to a threat to move to a bigger market. He'd like changes. | The Jazz are in a small market without much profit, so they would be recipients. |
Washington Wizards, Ted Leonsis | HAWK: Leonsis' experience in the NHL is said to have convinced him of the power of hard negotiating. And he recently paid a heck of a lot of money for a team that hasn't been good lately. | Like the Sixers and Hawks, the Wizards have a big market but not a ton of revenue. They are unlikely to pay or receive much. |
Atlanta Hawks, Alex Meruelo | UNCLEAR: The Hawks are transitioning from one of the messiest ownership situations in NBA history (co-owners suing each other) to a business-minded new owner in Alex Meruelo. Hard to know who will cast the Hawks' vote, let alone what that person is thinking. | The Hawks have a big market, but bad revenue. They are very interested in revenue sharing ... if the formula is right. |
Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck | HAWK: But it's complicated. The Celtics are due for a fantastic new media deal, which will be one of the best in the league. Once that's official, revenues will be strong, and then the focus may shift to the reality that this roster has a short window. With short-term TV money and a strong roster, worries are more about years from now -- the owners' long offers are tailor made to that. | The Celtics would be payers in any revenue sharing, especially when their new local TV deal is complete. |
Charlotte Bobcats, Michael Jordan | HAWK: Jordan is in something of a pickle. As a player he was strongly in favor of high player salaries. As an owner in a small market, he needs to pay players very little without being made to look cheap. A hard cap would be great for him. | Together with Herb Kohl of the Bucks, Jordan made a presentation to owners arguing for very strong revenue sharing. |
Chicago Bulls, Jerry Reinsdorf | DOVE: Reinsdorf is seen as close to David Stern, and likely to go along with the commissioner when it's time to make a deal. Also, his team makes money, has reasonable salaries, and is on the rise, so playing the season is good for him. | As a high revenue team in a huge market, with plenty to lose, Reinsdorf is said to be tepid on revenue sharing. |
Cleveland Cavaliers, Dan Gilbert | HAWK: Gilbert is said to be a very strong hawk, and even willing to miss the season. Missing what is slated to be a rotten season on the court is palatable and getting closer to the end of Baron Davis' deal would be a blessing. Also, keeping LeBron James and the Heat from any chance of winning the 2012 title would be OK. | Aggressively and enthusiastically for it, although it is not thought that Gilbert has influence with many other owners. |
Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban | HAWK: Cuban's position is that he'll spend as much as the league will allow him to spend, so he would very much like it if spending the max didn't put him so deep in the red. | Cuban is against aggressive revenue sharing. Dallas is a good market, and the Mavericks have good revenue, but the team is not profitable so Cuban may be leery of writing checks to other owners. |
Denver Nuggets, Stan Kroenke | HAWK: As owner of the NHL's Colorado Avalanche, Kroenke knows well the powers of missing a season to stick it to the players, and word is he's more than happy to repeat that process in the NBA. | The Nuggets are said to be strongly in favor of aggressive revenue sharing. |
Detroit Pistons, Tom Gores | HAWK: The Pistons were once a good business. Gores -- an L.A. based private equity investor -- is intent to run the team like a business and wants all the help he can get from a new CBA. | Tom Gores plays his cards close to his chest, but the armchair analysis is that his team would likely be in a beneficiary in most systems. |
Golden State Warriors, Joe Lacob, Peter Guber | DOVE: Lacob and Guber are said to be in a strong financial position in an excellent market. Playing this season is unlikely to hurt them. What's more, they have an overhaul to complete. | Lacob and Guber paid so much for their team so they could reap the rewards of their big, lucrative market. Who in their right mind would want to share the benefits of that investment with the Grizzlies? |
Houston Rockets, Leslie Alexander | DOVE: The Rockets have an excellent TV deal and are very well run -- they don't have the same pressure other teams have to change the status quo. | Like the Spurs, the Rockets are doing just fine, thank you very much, and don't need big changes to the status quo. |
Indiana Pacers, Herb Simon | DOVE: The Pacers have coped with poor results on the court and on the business side. However, they appear to be turning the corner, have reasonable contracts and are becoming bullish on the future. Simon is said not to want a long lockout, and would go for a reasonable new CBA, so long as it comes with good revenue sharing. | The Pacers are incredibly enthusiastic about aggressive revenue sharing, of which they expect to be major recipients. |
Los Angeles Clippers, Donald Sterling | DOVE: Sterling is aggressively in favor of anything that makes him money, and was a critic of the last CBA, which he thinks was a giveaway to the players. Nevertheless, he makes money from his NBA team right now and is more than happy to let the Blake Griffin money machine keep rolling. | Very tricky subject for the Clippers. They have a huge market but a lousy TV deal. Under city-sized formulas they'd be payers. |
Los Angeles Lakers, Jerry Buss | DOVE: The Lakers have good revenues which they'd like to keep collecting. Jerry Buss is close to David Stern, and likely to support any deal the league is pushing. | The Lakers stand to lose the most in revenue sharing, by far. Reports are conflicting about whether or not they have accepted the idea of paying tens of millions per season. This is a huge issue. |
Memphis Grizzlies, Michael Heisley | HAWK: The Grizzlies have one of the toughest business challenges in sports. Heisley is eager for big changes, including a team-by-team hard cap to keep costs down. | Revenue sharing could change everything for the Grizzlies' bottom line, as the team is perfectly positioned to benefit in a major way. |
Miami Heat, Micky Arison | DOVE: Arison is a respected moderate among owners, and is liable to be influential. This time around, business is looking up as the clock ticking on a team in its championship window, so he'd like to play. | The Heat, likely in line to pay only a little, are moderates on the the issue of revenue sharing. |
Milwaukee Bucks, Herb Kohl | HAWK: Kohl is "as hardcore as anyone" in agitating for big changes, according to one insider. | Herb Kohl made a presentation to owners in Dallas, with Michael Jordan, that called for very robust revenue sharing. |
Minnesota Timberwolves, Glen Taylor | HAWK: Taylor has lost a lot of money on his Timberwolves, and would presumably like to lose less. But he is said to be looking for incremental improvement, not a profound overhaul. | The Timberwolves could be big recipients, and are said to be pounding the pavement hard on this issue. |
New Jersey Nets, Mikhail Prokhorov | DOVE: Prokhorov bought a money-losing team and has been resolute about turning a profit, which would suggest "hawk." On the other hand, he's determined to make a big arrival in Brooklyn in 2012, where local TV and sponsorship prospects are bright. That requires a healthy, happy Deron Williams in uniform. | A huge dilemma of revenue sharing is how to handle market size. Clippers and Nets are in huge metro areas, but have nothing like the revenues of the Lakers and Knicks. |
New Orleans Hornets, NBA | DOVE: As the NBA owns the team, the good money is that this vote will echo whatever Stern wants. And by the time Stern presents a deal to owners for their votes, it's a sure thing he'll want it to pass. | The Hornets stand to be beneficiaries of aggressive revenue sharing, and therefore for it. |
New York Knicks, James Dolan | DOVE: For all the jokes about Dolan's leadership in basketball, his Knicks are a lucrative, fine-tuned business. Not to mention, they have a roster that's generating excitement. On the other hand, they have one year left before potentially having the cap space to bring in another big name -- a 2012 return would be OK. | Stern insists the big market owners are united in favoring more revenue sharing. But how much? The Knicks trail only the Lakers as likely payers. |
Oklahoma City Thunder, Clay Bennett | DOVE: It would be a hell of a season for the Thunder to miss -- this is their time. Not to mention, Clay Bennett runs a successful business. | Under some revenue formulas, the moneymaking Thunder would be payers. Given their market size, that's a condemnation of how most of the owners run their teams. |
Orlando Magic, Richard DeVos | DOVE: With Dwight Howard in his prime and the best arena in the NBA, they want to win now. One big caveat: They're fighting hard for provisions that would make it hard for Howard to leave, such as limiting free agency or creating a cap that would make it hard for a big salary team like the Lakers to sign the big man. | Not big on it. Should help them but word is they haven't pushed for it. |
Philadelphia 76ers, Josh Harris | HAWK: Nobody knows Harris, nor if he'll be approved as an owner in time to vote on this deal. But like Gores, he has a business background, and negotiated a favorable price to buy the team. Signs are he intends to watch the bottom line closely. | The 76ers are unlikely to collect or pay much, which makes this not much of an issue for them. |
Phoenix Suns, Robert Sarver | HAWK: When you ask around about Sarver, there is no doubt. He wants a much better CBA for owners. | Sarver is strongly in favor of revenue sharing, although the Suns are unlikely to realize a ton of income. |
Portland Trail Blazers, Paul Allen | HAWK: Allen's team regularly sells out games, has tremendous local TV ratings, and now even has largely reasonable salaries, but is a persistent money-loser. Like Cuban in Dallas, Allen would like to spend whatever it takes to win, but would like that amount to keep him from broad financial pain. | The Blazers may benefit from revenue sharing, if nothing else because a lot of the competition -- the Lakers, Rockets, Spurs and Thunder -- would likely be payers. |
Sacramento Kings, Joe and Gavin Maloof | HAWK: The Kings need, essentially, a miracle. A radical CBA win for owners is the best chance they've got. Also, they could be among the owners who would profit from a lockout. | The Kings stand to benefit mightily from just about every revenue sharing plan now on the table. |
San Antonio Spurs, Peter Holt | HAWK: Holt is aware that his small-market team needed to win the lottery twice to create a profit. He'd like to address that meaningfully, so his team can stay in the black. On the other hand, there are limits to this hawkishness: One of Tim Duncan's few remaining years of high productivity would be a steep price. Also, the Spurs may be the best-run team in the league. | See the Thunder entry above. |
Toronto Raptors, Larry Tannenbaum | HAWK: The same owners weathered an NHL lockout, and in Canada hockey is the national religion. This is nothing compared to that. | The Raptors have a very good local media deal, which would make them payers in most systems, so aggressive revenue sharing is not their favorite idea. |
Utah Jazz, Greg Miller | HAWK: The Jazz paid through the nose for a competitive team most of the last decade -- money that's tough to make up in a small market without a different CBA. Miller also just lost a star player, Deron Williams, to a threat to move to a bigger market. He'd like changes. | The Jazz are in a small market without much profit, so they would be recipients. |
Washington Wizards, Ted Leonsis | HAWK: Leonsis' experience in the NHL is said to have convinced him of the power of hard negotiating. And he recently paid a heck of a lot of money for a team that hasn't been good lately. | Like the Sixers and Hawks, the Wizards have a big market but not a ton of revenue. They are unlikely to pay or receive much. |
Originally Posted by CP1708
at the Lakers having to give money to the Blazers for sucking.
Originally Posted by CP1708
at the Lakers having to give money to the Blazers for sucking.
@AlexKennedyNBA Today's bargaining session was cancelled, but the two sides will meet on Tuesday. The owners may offer a new proposal, according to sources.
@AlexKennedyNBA Sources say that if a new proposal is delivered on Tuesday, @TheNBPA will give a presentation to players this Thursday in Las Vegas.