Steve Kyler

Father. Coach. Leader. Formerly - Basketball Insiders, USA Today, Sirus Satellite Radio, Fantasy Sports Ventures, SWISH Magazine, HOOPSWORLD, BsKBALL.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Lets Go!!! @IanKyler30 @WU_MBB

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

He could, but there are limits to how much cash can be sent in a given season... but buying picks is not hard, it's just those top picks that get out of reach, but picks in the 20s get sold all the time.

[#ken@anaheimhills @KenRowen]

@stevekylerNBA If Balmer doesn’t sell, then his other way to react might be to make godfather offers to other teams for first round picks since I believe teams can pay whatever to another team for picks which also don’t have a max for spending or count against the salary cap.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

While not cheap, you can buy and trade for draft picks. Picks get sold every draft, especially by teams that amass more than they can or will use.

[Jay @Atip4]

@stevekylerNBA With no draft picks for the next 8 years?

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Also, keep in mind that when a private firm shows up to talk to you, it's not remotely the same as lying to a federal investigator. The Feds can also get access to your phone records, including text messages, your e-mail and social media. Private firms can't. Then can ask nicely.

[Arham @arhamgrowthcap]

@stevekylerNBA “Investigators” also let Terry Rozier walk. Same incompetent law firm hired by same incompetent Adam Silver

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Maybe - but private law firms do not have subpoena power; they cannot compel testimony. They can only interview people who are willing to talk to them, and they can only dig as far as the material provided to them voluntarily; law enforcement can seize things.

[Arham @arhamgrowthcap]

@stevekylerNBA “Investigators” also let Terry Rozier walk. Same incompetent law firm hired by same incompetent Adam Silver

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Equally, there is such demand for NBA teams... would $10B for the Clippers and their new arena be a better investment than building a Vegas or Seattle franchise from the ground up? That's how the Lakers' new deal came together.

[Bennie Starks @YeaBenSaidIt]

@stevekylerNBA Yes, inferring that it could/should be an option. All of you media guys with the same shtick. Why would he sell?

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

My two cents --- if you feel like you are being treated unfairly and you do not want to carry the label, sell and go do something else. Getting Ballmer into the NBA was a major win for the league because of who and what he is. Does he stop caring about helping the NBA now?

[Bennie Starks @YeaBenSaidIt]

@stevekylerNBA Yes, inferring that it could/should be an option. All of you media guys with the same shtick. Why would he sell?

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Not suggesting he "should sell" wonder if how this was handled makes him say to hell with the NBA...

[Bennie Starks @YeaBenSaidIt]

@stevekylerNBA All of you with this should he sell sh..

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Nope, punishment is on the franchise... if sold, the new owner buys knowing what they "owe" -- the good news on draft picks -- you can buy them or trade for them.

[dloitz 🎬 aka dloitz.bsky.social @dloitz]

Would the punishment stick to a new owner? I think the best solution would be no. Clean slate for the new ownership. My guess balmer would keep
The arena. But who knows.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Agreed, but the NBA is a basketball business first, second, third, and fourth...

[OI @OIThirty10]

@stevekylerNBA On Lawrence Frank, I assume you’re right but this story isn’t a story ABOUT basketball. It’s just a basketball (business) story

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Agreed, but we're talking about $200m payrolls and approaching $10b valuations... this kind of monetary pressure drives decision-making.

[John Michael @JMichaelMumme]

My view— yeah, and that’s bad. Pretty simple.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

I would be surprised if the NBA does not install an NCAA-type clearinghouse on team sponsors and team sponsor endorsement deals. There is an approval process, but I think there will be increased scrutiny of these kinds of deals going forward.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Here are a couple of thoughts -- if this sticks, which all indications are there is no recourse for the Clippers -- does Ballmer say "F-It" and sell the team? - The Clips and the arena are estimated to be worth $7.5b - could he fetch $8-9b?

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

My view --- the pressure to win in sports is real, and when your bosses want something, they usually get it. If not, they replace you with someone who will.

[John Michael @JMichaelMumme]

Well, he did, so what does that tell us?

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

I get that you may not like him - I can speak to my personal experience. I have had more conversations with Lawrence Frank than I can count. I view him as a very smart and intelligent guy. I don't know Gillian Zucker, but you don't get to her chair in the NBA being unintelligent.

[BA Angel ⚾️🏈🏀🥊🎾 @ThatmanBa]

@stevekylerNBA Stop it w smart people crap. Ballmer is an arrogant billionaire asshole and that’s what people like him do because they can.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

Not sure where you got he gets to wash his hands -- banned for a year, $30m fine, loss of 5 draft picks -- that's a massive penalty. The report did not show him steering this personally, but it did show he knew stuff was happening - hence why he was hammered so hard.

[Giancs13 @Giancs13]

@stevekylerNBA Wait a second… we can not just let Ballmer wash his hands here. He is after all in charge. Have we not seen how involved he is. Let’s not give a guy who has recieved a certain privilege his entire life the benefit of the doubt here. That’s just not right.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

My personal perspective -- I don't think you gets to billionaire status without cutting corners, being ruthless, or playing in the grey areas. Specifically to Lawrence Frank: I personally think he is a genuinely smart basketball mind - that's my personal experience with him.

[OI @OIThirty10]

People being book smart and business smart is completely divorced from being greedy and willing to cheat to win. There’s no correlation between them. And people fail to realize that, that’s why they keep getting shocked when the wealthy get involved in embarrassingly silly crime

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

I know Lawrence Frank... I genuinely regard him as a smart basketball person. Pretty shocked he let this happen; of everyone involved, he knew better.

[John Michael @JMichaelMumme]

Rich people aren’t inherently smart, and the fact that we as a society act like that isn’t true is one of our biggest failings.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

The biggest takeaway for me isn't that Kawhi had endorsement deals. Lots of stars do. It's that the investigators concluded team business, sponsor business, and player compensation became intertwined. That's where the entire thing went off the rails.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

There has always been a narrative that players can take less money in a major market and make it up through endorsements. That's a real thing. But some of the values cited in this report are eye-opening and far beyond what most people would view as ordinary sponsorships

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

There has always been a narrative that players can take less money in a major market and make it up through endorsements. That's a real thing. But some of the values cited in this report are eye-opening and far beyond what most people would view as ordinary sponsorships

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

During his exit from Toronto, there were already plenty of people who believed Leonard's camp operated as if the normal boundaries and rules were more suggestions than requirements.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

During his exit from Toronto, there were already plenty of people who believed Leonard's camp operated as if the normal boundaries and rules were more suggestions than requirements.

[Steve Kyler @stevekylerNBA]

A few personal thoughts after reading the report. First, I was genuinely surprised by how brazen some of this allegedly was. It is a good reminder that smart people do dumb things all the time, especially when they convince themselves the rules don't really apply to them