Pablo Torre: Did Clippers Circumvent Salary Cap w/ Kawhi?

[Donoghus]

I personally think this goes on anyways in sports and the Clips + Balmer/Kawhi got caught. Like Tom Brady, Lebron, etc. are we really gonna believe these guys don't get additional money through other non-traditional means, likely with the owner involved in some way?

For sure but, if true,  these people were dumb enough to let it go to bankruptcy where everything is hung out in the open.

[Yuckabuck33]

I think the punishment should be at least as harsh as the punishment doled out against the team that obeyed all the rules and won the 2024 championship. Why slap the wrist of rule breakers but force a rule abiding team to dismantle itsel??

[Phantom255x]

I personally think this goes on anyways in sports and the Clips + Balmer/Kawhi got caught. Like Tom Brady, Lebron, etc. are we really gonna believe these guys don't get additional money through other non-traditional means, likely with the owner involved in some way?

For sure but, if true,  these people were dumb enough to let it go to bankruptcy where everything is hung out in the open.

Oh yeah for sure. I'm not defending Balmer and the Clippers at all.

Pablo did say he's gonna investigate the Knicks and Brunson. Not that I really care but again, it could very well be Brunson took that paycut but was given more money "under the table" and also being in NYC and the marketing there has to help as well.

[Who]

Punishment idea

(1) Reduce Clippers salary cap to only 75% of everyone's else for a period of 5-10 years

(2) Void Kawhi's recent contract. Ban him from the NBA / FIBA for the next 12 months so that he cannot earn.

[slamtheking]

Punishment idea

(1) Reduce Clippers salary cap to only 75% of everyone's else for a period of 5-10 years

(2) Void Kawhi's recent contract. Ban him from the NBA / FIBA for the next 12 months so that he cannot earn.

something along these lines should be in order.  it took both sides to agree to this scheme.  both sides need to pay a heavy cost

[aefgogreen]

Punishment idea

(1) Reduce Clippers salary cap to only 75% of everyone's else for a period of 5-10 years

(2) Void Kawhi's recent contract. Ban him from the NBA / FIBA for the next 12 months so that he cannot earn.

Can they ban him from FIBA?

[Who]

Punishment idea

(1) Reduce Clippers salary cap to only 75% of everyone's else for a period of 5-10 years

(2) Void Kawhi's recent contract. Ban him from the NBA / FIBA for the next 12 months so that he cannot earn.

Can they ban him from FIBA?

I think the bans crossover. That FIBA has to recognize NBA bans and NBA has to recognize FIBA bans. I believe that is part of the deal the NBA and FIBA made.

I am not 100% though.

[MattyIce]

I personally think this goes on anyways in sports and the Clips + Balmer/Kawhi got caught. Like Tom Brady, Lebron, etc. are we really gonna believe these guys don't get additional money through other non-traditional means, likely with the owner involved in some way?

For sure but, if true,  these people were dumb enough to let it go to bankruptcy where everything is hung out in the open.

Oh yeah for sure. I'm not defending Balmer and the Clippers at all.

Pablo did say he's gonna investigate the Knicks and Brunson. Not that I really care but again, it could very well be Brunson took that paycut but was given more money "under the table" and also being in NYC and the marketing there has to help as well.

or his father

[Roy H.]

Kawhi allegedly asked for similar "no show" income from the Raptors:

According to those sources, who were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about the negotiations, Robertson?s list was long, and absurd. It included a trade for George, which featured an exorbitant price tag. It included a slice of ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which Robertson was told was impossible.

But two details stand out, in retrospect. One, Robertson asked for ownership stakes in outside companies: not just the Leafs, which he seemed to believe was separate, but with other companies with whom MLSE had a relationship. And two, the Raptors were told they needed to match at least $10 million per year in extra sponsorship income. Teams are allowed to introduce players to team sponsors; teams cannot negotiate deals, and MLSE was aware of that fact.

But it didn?t end there. As one source put it, when told about all the corporate sponsors in Toronto who would be happy to have Leonard as a pitchman, his camp said, ?We don?t want to do anything.? Raptors representatives said any sponsor would want to shoot ads or arrange appearances; Robertson reiterated Leonard didn?t want to do anything for the money.

That?s when the Raptors realized Leonard wasn?t asking to be introduced to Toronto?s lucrative corporate community; they were being asked to arrange no-show jobs, and arrange no-investment investments. MLSE rejected both proposals.

Neither Robertson nor Leonard?s agent, Mitch Frankel, responded to requests for comment.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/kawhi-leonard-reportedly-made-requests-to-raptors-in-2019-that-line-up-almost-perfectly-with-clippers-controversy-185454764.html

[Donoghus]

Kawhi allegedly asked for similar "no show" income from the Raptors:

According to those sources, who were granted anonymity in order to speak freely about the negotiations, Robertson?s list was long, and absurd. It included a trade for George, which featured an exorbitant price tag. It included a slice of ownership of the Toronto Maple Leafs, which Robertson was told was impossible.

But two details stand out, in retrospect. One, Robertson asked for ownership stakes in outside companies: not just the Leafs, which he seemed to believe was separate, but with other companies with whom MLSE had a relationship. And two, the Raptors were told they needed to match at least $10 million per year in extra sponsorship income. Teams are allowed to introduce players to team sponsors; teams cannot negotiate deals, and MLSE was aware of that fact.

But it didn?t end there. As one source put it, when told about all the corporate sponsors in Toronto who would be happy to have Leonard as a pitchman, his camp said, ?We don?t want to do anything.? Raptors representatives said any sponsor would want to shoot ads or arrange appearances; Robertson reiterated Leonard didn?t want to do anything for the money.

That?s when the Raptors realized Leonard wasn?t asking to be introduced to Toronto?s lucrative corporate community; they were being asked to arrange no-show jobs, and arrange no-investment investments. MLSE rejected both proposals.

Neither Robertson nor Leonard?s agent, Mitch Frankel, responded to requests for comment.

https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/kawhi-leonard-reportedly-made-requests-to-raptors-in-2019-that-line-up-almost-perfectly-with-clippers-controversy-185454764.html

Yikes