April 2020 Basketball Wiretap

NBA Could Allow Private Equity Firms To Buy Stakes In Multiple Teams

Apr 30, 2020 9:06 PM

The NBA is considering creating an investment vehicle that would allow private equity firms to buy limited partnership stakes, including investments across multiple teams.

It has become increasingly difficult for owners to sell limited partnership stakes due to the increase in valuations of professional franchises.

Limited stakes frequently come without a board seat or any real influence on how the franchise is operated. There's typically what's referred to as an LP discount of 10 percent to 25 percent.

Major League Baseball changed its rules last year to allow investment funds to acquire limited partnership stakes in multiple clubs.

Scott Soshnick/Sportico

Tags: NBA, NBA CBA

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Spurs Selling Minority Stake In Franchise

Apr 30, 2020 8:52 PM

The San Antonio Spurs are selling a minority stake in the franchise.

The team has retained Guggenheim Partners to manage the process.

A Spurs spokesperson said in a statement, “As an ownership group we remain 100 percent committed to the city of San Antonio. Every day we celebrate the amazing relationship that exists between our community, our fans and our Spurs. San Antonio is home and will remain home."

It is not known how large of a stake is available. 

The Spurs are worth $1.8 billion, according to Forbes, which means a five percent stake would cost $90 million. Limited stakes often come without a board seat or a say in how a franchise is run.

The Holt family bought the team in 1996 for about $76 million.

Scott Soshnick/Sportico

Tags: San Antonio Spurs, NBA

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NBA Draft Expected To Take Place In Either August Or September

Apr 30, 2020 4:17 PM

The NBA draft is expected to be pushed back from June 25th until August or September, sources tell Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer.

This draft is expected to be complicated for front offices due to the lack of consensus at the top and the limitations of a normal process due to COVID-19.

The draft can't happen until after the 19-20 season is over. There has been some speculation that the draft could take place as scheduled on June 25 if the season is canceled outright.

Kevin O'Connor/The Ringer

Tags: NBA, NBA NBA Draft, NBA Draft General

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Dunc'd On: Atlantic Division Battle Plan

Apr 30, 2020 3:56 PM

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A run through how the teams in the Atlantic Division should be approaching the next few years, in order: NYK, BRK, PHI, TOR, BOS.

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RealGM Staff Report

Tags: NBA, Dunc'd On

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Some Team Execs Pushing For Cancelation Of 19-20 NBA Season

Apr 30, 2020 2:56 PM

Some team executives are pushing for an outright cancellation of the 19-20 season in order to focus on safely resuming play next season.

Team owners are concerned with liability issues and are conflicted on whether or not to give up on the current season.

If the NBA cancels the remainder of the regular season and plays the playoffs, non-playoff teams who want to collect the remainder of local TV dollars would lose out.

The NBA league office continues to explore possibilities of resuming the season.

“It is the responsibility of the league office to explore all options for a return to play this season,” the spokesperson told CNBC in a statement. “We owe that to our fans, teams, players, partners and all who love the game. While our top priority remains everyone’s health and well-being, we continue to evaluate all options to finish this season. At the same time, we are intensely focused on addressing the potential impact of Covid-19 on the 2020-21 season.”

Jabari Young/CNBC

Tags: NBA

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LeBron James: Nobody Should Be Canceling Anything

Apr 30, 2020 2:56 PM

LeBron James made a forceful statement on Twitter in response to the possibility of the NBA canceling the remainder of the 19-20 season.

"Saw some reports about execs and agents wanting to cancel season???" wrote James. "That’s absolutely not true. Nobody I know saying anything like that. As soon as it’s safe we would like to finish our season. I’m ready and our team is ready. Nobody should be canceling anything."

James was responding to a report from CNBC about team executive and agents who expressed concern about whether there will be liability issues if the season resumes.

RealGM Staff Report

Tags: Los Angeles Lakers, NBA

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Craig Ehlo 'Shocked' By Ron Harper's Comments About Guarding Michael Jordan Before 'The Shot'

Apr 30, 2020 12:20 PM

Craig Ehlo said he had no recollection of Ron Harper's desire to cover Michael Jordan during the final seconds of the Cleveland Cavaliers loss to the Chicago Bulls in Game 5 of their first round series in the 1989 playoffs.

Ehlo said he was "shocked" when he heard the comments from his ex-teammate during Sunday's episode 3 of "The Last Dance" documentary when it flash backed to 'The Shot'.

“I never said I was a Jordan stopper like Gerald Wilkins or anything,” Ehlo said during an extensive call with cleveland.com this week. “But back then Harp and me were on the court at the same time and he was our big offensive threat. So, when I came in it was a no-brainer that I would guard Jordan so Harp could rest on defense and play on offense.

“Harp had never really talked about defense or guarding people. He wasn’t a bad defender, I will give him that much, but I think those years with the Bulls where he got those championships, he was definitely third or fourth fiddle, so all of a sudden he becomes this lockdown defender, apparently. I don’t really remember him during our time wanting to play defense that much. He kind of shocked me with those comments, saying he wanted to guard Michael.”

Harper explained his side of the story during the documentary.

“We’re up by one and I said, ‘Coach I got MJ,’" Harper explained. “Coach tells me, ‘I’m going to put Ehlo on MJ.’ And I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, whatever. F--- this bulls---.’”

Scott Boeck/USA Today

Tags: Cleveland Cavaliers, NBA

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Adrian Griffin, Ime Udoka Seen As Possible Replacements For Jim Boylen

Apr 30, 2020 1:26 AM

Adrian Griffin or Ime Udoka could possibly succeed Jim Boylen as the next head coach of the Chicago Bulls, league sources told Darnell Mayberry of The Athletic.

Arturas Karnisovas will give his head coach, whether it is Boylen or someone else, full autonomy in choosing their own staff.

While Boylen is hoping to stay, multiple rival executives told The Athletic that they expect Karnisovas to bring in his own head coach.

Karnisovas recently hired Marc Eversley as the team's general manager. 

Darnell Mayberry/The Athletic

Tags: Chicago Bulls, NBA, NBA Misc Rumor

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NBA Considering Disney World For Neutral Site

Apr 29, 2020 10:15 PM

The NBA is considering Disney World Resort as a potential playing site for when the 19-20 season resumes.

The NBA has considered multiple locations to keep their players and staff in isolation to finish out the season.

It is believed that Disney has already offered its property to the NBA for this use.

Keith Smith of Yahoo! Sports wrote a piece two weeks ago about the viability of Disney World for the NBA due to their abundance of hotels, basketball facilities, broadcast capabilities and ESPN as a television partner to the NBA.

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Tags: NBA

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Rod Thorn Never Spoke With Michael Jordan About Excluding Isiah Thomas From Dream Team

Apr 29, 2020 3:21 PM

Isiah Thomas remains upset with his omission on the 1992 Olympics Dream Team. There had long been rumors that Michael Jordan did not want Thomas on the team, but Rod Thorn denied ever speaking to him about that.

"There was never anything in my conversation with [Jordan] that had to do with Isiah Thomas, period," Thorn said Wednesday during an interview with ESPN's Golic & Wingo. "He said, 'I'll do it.' ... Isiah's name never came up during that conversation. And he never backtracked and said he didn't want to do it from that time on, to those of us in the NBA office.

"Now, if that in fact happened, then it happened with somebody else; because when I talked to him, he ended up saying he would definitely do it."

Thomas said he has paid a "heavy price" for refusing to shake hands with the Bulls after the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals.

"I thought I should've made that Dream Team," Thomas said Monday. "However, I wasn't a part of it -- that hurt me.

"Looking back, if I'm not a part of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone's hand -- if that's the reason why I didn't make the Dream Team, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected."

ESPN

Tags: NBA, National, National Olympics

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Teams With Bottom-10 Records Could Play No Additional Games Even If Season Resumes

Anthony Slater/The Athletic

Knicks Retain Scott Perry On One-Year Deal

Scott Popper/Newsday

Pistons Could Use 2020 Cap Space In Trade To Collect Assets

Omari Sankofa II/Detroit Free Press

Dunc'd On: The Victory Machine and the Warriors dynasty with Ethan Strauss

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Medical Personnel From Major Leagues Meet With White House Coronavirus Task Force Member

Tom VanHaaren/ESPN

205 Early-Entry Prospects Officially Declare For 2020 NBA Draft

Jonathan Givony/ESPN

LaMelo Ball Officially Declares For 2020 NBA Draft

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Steve Kerr: Warriors Already 'In Offseason Mode'

Nick Friedell/ESPN

Tokyo Olympics 'Exceedingly Difficult' In 2021 Without COVID-19 Vaccine

New York Times

Most NBA Execs Would Start Franchise With Luka Doncic Over Zion Williamson

Tim Bontemps/ESPN

Daishen Nix Decommits From UCLA, Will Sign With G League Select Team

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Lakers Ask L.A. Mayor For Permission To Reopen Practice Facility Before May 15th

Dave McMenamin/ESPN

Kings Likely To Retain Vlade Divac, Luke Walton In 20-21

Sam Amick/The Athletic

Dunc'd On: The Best and Worst Decision for Each Team Over the Last 5 Years: Eastern Conference

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Zion Williamson On Staying In Shape During Stoppage: 'Honestly, I'm Ready Now'

Andrew Lopez/ESPN

Gonzaga's Filip Petrusev Declares For 2020 NBA Draft

ESPN

Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green Likely Would Have Been Top Picks In 2020 Draft

Jonathan Givony/ESPN

NBA Asks Teams To Appoint Facility Hygiene Officer

Shams Charania/The Athletic

NBA Won't Reopen Practice Facilities Before May 8th

Shams Charania/The Athletic

Toni Kukoc: I Wish Jerry Krause Was Here To Say His Part Of The Story

Zach Lowe/ESPN