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Texas Rangers lineup for September 3, 2026

ARLINGTON, TX - SEPTEMBER 02: Texas Rangers shortstop Corey Seager (5) looks on after flying out during the MLB game between the Athletics and the Texas Rangers on September 2, 2026 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, CA. (Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) | Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Texas Rangers lineup for September 3, 2026 against the Tampa Bay Rays: starting pitchers are Cal Quantrill for the Rangers and Shane McClanahan for the Rays.

Texas looks to start a new winning streak today after winning two of three against the A’s. Tampa is in town for four games. It would be a good thing if the Rangers won three of four in this series.

The lineup:

Duran — CF

Seager — SS

Langford — LF

Nimmo — RF

Foscue — 2B

Burger — 1B

O’Hoppe — DH

Freeman — 3B

Diaz — C

7:05 p.m. Central time. Rangers are +110 underdogs.

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Sabres Sign Multi-Year Deal To Remain On WGR For Radio Broadcasts

At the end of last season, there was some fear that the Buffalo Sabres would follow the same path as the other sports franchise in Western New York, the Buffalo Bills, and leave their longtime radio home in favor of producing their own broadcasts and finding another terrestrial broadcast option.

On Thursday, the Sabres announced that they have agreed to a multi-year partnership with Audacy to continue to be the club's official flagship radio station. Game broadcasts featuring play-by-play man Dan Dunleavy and color commentator Rob Ray will continue to air on WGR AM (550) and WGR FM (107.7) in the Buffalo broadcast market, as well as on the Sabres and Audacy Apps.

“WGR has long played a role in linking the people in our community to the Buffalo Sabres, and we are excited to extend a partnership that has continued to grow stronger over the years,” Buffalo Sabres president of business operations Pete Guelli said in a press release. “We are always exploring avenues for our fans to engage with us in meaningful ways, and this partnership has consistently provided a trusted platform for them to stay connected.

Other Sabres Stories

Sabres Emotionally Devastated By Game 7 Overtime Loss

Where will Connor Hellebuyck end up?

The Bills announced in May that they would be partnering with Cumulus Media and 96.9 FM radio (WGRF-FM - 97 Rock) starting this fall, and with a network of stations in New York State, Pennsylvania, Florida, and TSN Radio in Canada. The new agreement with the Sabres will also further the reach of the club through Audacy's radio stations outside of Western New York, and WGR will also be available via SiriusXM satellite radio.  

“We're excited to continue our long-standing relationship as the official voice of the Buffalo Sabres,” said WGR brand manager Allan Davis. “No radio station in the U.S. talks more hockey than Western New York's Voice of the Fans - WGR.  And no fan base anywhere loves their team more than Sabres fans do. We look forward to bringing them every play, every game, and every story every day." 

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Pablo Torre drops lawsuit claim for Steve Ballmer, Clippers in retaliation to NBA

An image collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer celebrates after guard Chris Paul hit a last second baske, Image 2 shows Pablo Torre, host of the podcast

The Los Angeles Clippers have entered its lowest point in franchise history.

The NBA’s year-long investigation resulted in confirmation that the team violated the league’s salary cap circumvention rules, which resulted in the loss of five first-round picks and being fined $30 million.

Pablo Torre, the podcaster and journalist who began investigating the scandal in 2025, believes Clippers owner Steve Ballmer won’t walk away quietly.

“What can Steve Ballmer do? He can literally sue the NBA,” Torre said.

Clippers owner Steve Ballmer rejected the findings of the NBA’s investigation into the organization and Kawhi Leonard. AP

“When the NBA tried to settle with Steve Ballmer, and they said, ‘Hey we have a narrow scope, we have undeniable evidence, we want to just make sure that you have the opportunity to take your punishment, admit wrongdoing, and let us all move on.’ Steve Ballmer — according to everything that we’ve seen now play out in public after that ESPN story two weeks ago — decided to fight,” Torre said on the Dan Patrick Show.

“And the NBA said, well in that case, we’re going to do something that perhaps caught Steve Ballmer by surprise. They found a way to settle with Kawhi Leonard and the Players’ Union…They got Kawhi to settle.”

In the NBA, arbitration can only be activated by the Players’ Union, according to Torre. Because of the league’s settlement with Leonard, arbitration isn’t an option for Ballmer.

Ballmer, who was suspended for one year from all league and team activities, is reportedly angry over the results of the investigation, which falls in line with the team’s statement rejecting the NBA’s findings.

Pablo Torre is the host of the podcast “Pablo Torre Finds Out.” @pablofindsout/X

“We vehemently reject the NBA’s findings, which are the result of a heavily biased investigation seeking to justify a predetermined narrative rather than facts and evidence. What the league told us privately differs from what it announced today publicly, and they have not held themselves close to the standard Commissioner Silver set at the start of this investigation to ensure it’s fairness and accuracy,” the statement read.

“For the past year, we cooperated fully and in good faith and we will now fight just as hard to demonstrate our innocence. We intend to vigorously challenge these findings and penalties through every avenue available to us and look forward to an ethical and impartial arbitration process.”

Daktronics, the manufacturer of the 4K Halo Board at the Intuit Dome, had an unannounced endorsement with Kawhi Leonard. Daktronics
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Meet Yostin Peña, the man of the hour in the Yankees’ system

The Yankees have plenty of talent in their minor league affiliates, so much so that young outfielder Yostin Peña, arguably the hottest hitter in the entire organization, isn’t yet ranked in MLB Pipeline’s top 30 prospects.

Peña, signed last December after issues regarding his age documentation surfaced and scuttled his deal with the St. Louis Cardinals, made quick work of the Dominican Summer League, slashing a robust .375/.457/.646 with eight homers, 27 stolen bases, and a 150 wRC+ in 37 games, before earning a promotion to Single-A.

There, the 18-year-old phenom has posted a brilliant .355/.419/.605 line with five round-trippers, seven thefts, and a 161 wRC+ in 18 games through Tuesday. Between the two levels, the dynamic talent has 13 dingers, 34 steals, and a 154 wRC+.

Peña has some of the most exciting raw tools you will see in the low minors, and an incredible frame for such a young prospect: he is 6’4” and is listed at 205 lb. Evidently, speed and athleticism are both plus, as is his raw power.

What has the industry said about him recently? In a fantasy baseball roundup, the folks at Baseball America said that Peña is ‘the highest-ranked hitting prospect still in Low-A. With excellent power for his age, a better-than-average in-zone contact rate and 15-to-20 stolen base potential, Peña is a fascinating blend of power, speed and fantasy upside.’

That’s nice for our fantasy baseball community, but what about as a real-life report? Sam Dyksra and Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline recently reviewed the hottest hitter in each team’s farm system, and of course Peña’s name came up when they discussed the Yankees. Here’s what they wrote on August 26:

At 18 years old, Pena was a bit on the older side for the Dominican Summer League, where he opened the season, but on July 28, he skipped the FCL to get a promotion to Single-A Tampa and hasn’t looked back since. The 6-foot-4 right-handed slugger has hit .358/.389/.597 with four homers in his first 15 games with the Tarpons. (Three of those four dingers have come in the last week alone.) His big-time power (113.6 mph max exit velocity, 108.2 90th-percentile EV in the FSL) is his most intriguing asset, though a high chase rate brings some cause for concern as he sees more full-season pitching.

As you can see, those are some impressive exit velocities. Considering that he can still fill out his frame with muscle and thump, his raw power potential is very scary. It’s important to remember that he is still very young and raw, and given his contact issues and propensity to chase pitches out of the zone, he probably won’t be a fast riser who will get to Triple-A in the first half of 2027.

Speaking of his high chase rate, Peña’s 39.7 O-Swing% is quite high. Additionally, he has a 16.1 SwStr%, also elevated. Both marks would rank near the bottom of the league in the majors, and this is against Single-A pitching. Stats don’t actually mean much since it’s just 18 games, but it’s something to keep an eye on. Amazingly, his 17.4 percent strikeout rate in those 18 Single-A games is not that bad, but that look under the hood suggests it could be much worse.

Despite his less-than-ideal approach and contact profile, Peña is an exciting prospect, indeed. Those who have seen him play believe he has superstar potential, but he needs to conquer some demons first. It’s nothing uncommon when talking about a prospect his age, though. The range of outcomes is broad here, but if Peña hits his lofty ceiling, watch out.

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Red Sox return to Baltimore looking to turn around recent losing skid

Chad Tracy ascended to Interim Manager of the Boston Red Sox in Baltimore. Tonight, he returns to the scene as a favorite for AL Manager of the Year.

Once again the Red Sox are in a bit of chaos. The pitching has given up 8 runs a game or a stretch, former Oriole Adley Rutschman hasn’t made the impact that was expected, but Roman Anthony and Trevor Story returned to great success. Boston is 4.5 games up on Cleveland for the third Wild Card and 6.0 above the Orioles, generally. If the O’s sweep they’ll be right in the playoff mix and Boston could be in trouble. But they need that sweep.

Jake Bennett will have something to say about the O’s chances. Since his struggles entering August, Bennett has found a second wind. His game was the only win against the Yankees in New York with 6.0 shutout innings and 7 strikeouts against zero walks. This is a guy who handled the Dodgers lineup and has been impressive in almost every start since his callup. He held the O’s to 3 runs in 5/2 innings back in July. Righty Brandon Young started the infamous Friday April 24 game against the Sox. This is the night that probably ended Alex Cora’s career. Brayan Bello was shelled for 8 runs in 3.1 while Young allowed 3 runs in 5.2, which would be all the Sox could score. Batters have improved against Young ever month of the season and finished August with a cumulative .295/.362/.486 against him.

What is Ranger Suarez at this point? An ugly 6-run performance against the Yankees reset some of the progress he had been making. His start kicked off a five-game stretch of the pitching allowing at least 8 runs per game. The Mariners don’t even have Pete Alonso. The O’s haven’t seen him yet this year so maybe that will help. This is Shane Baz’s third start against Boston and he’s held them to 6 runs (3 earned) in 13 innings. He has’t had to deal with the Roman Empire so far.

Sonny Gray hopefully just needed as skipped start. It did wonders for Bennett to have extra rest. Fingers crossed that’s all because the Sox need Gray at his best the rest of the way. He too hasn’t faced the Orioles in 2026. Chris Bassitt faced Boston way back on June 3 and then missed two months, He allowed 3 runs in 3.3 innings on the way to a Sox 8-1 victory. He allowed 5 runs to the A’s last time out. As we’ve seen the A’s can play very well.

The series closes with Payton Tolle. Hopefully the split is already secure here. Tolle got into some trouble against the Mariners and after 5.2 innings and, well, the bullpen couldn’t get one out. The Sox rallied around Mass Pike to win 9-8 in 10 innings. The previous start featured Jarren Duran’s 11th inning grand slam. And before that was a 7-6 loss to the Dbacks in 10 innings. Maybe score him runs early this time? Kyle Bradish was the losing pitcher in Chad Tracy’s debut back on April 26th. He closes out the series on another Sunday. In 11 innings he’s allowed 4 runs to Boston while striking out 7 and walking 5. He missed most of 2024 and 2025 so now at just about 150 innings it’s possiuble he’s wearing down. Batters posted an OPS just under .900 against him in August and he lost to the Rockies last time out.

Famously traded starting catcher Adley Rutschman.

Gunnar Henderson just finished a .245/.377/.447 August representing his season turnaround. He’s always dangerous.

Pete Alonso is at 32 homers.

Old friend Tyler O’ Neill is back on the IL.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Thursday, September 3: Jake Bennett (3.27 ERA / 3.16 FIP) vs. Brandon Young (3.38 ERA / 4.32 FIP)

Friday, September 4: Ranger Suarez (3.64 ERA / 3.10 FIP) vs. Shane Baz (4.01 ERA / 3.36 FIP)

Saturday, September 5: Sonny Gray (2.82 ERA / 3.35 FIP) vs. Chris Bassett (4.97 ERA / 4.61 FIP)

Sunday, September 6: Payton Tolle (3.23 ERA / 3.28 FIP) vs. Kyle Bradish (4.01 ERA / 4.10 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Thursday, September 3: 7:15 PM ET on FOX

Friday, September 4: 7:05 PM ET on NESN

Saturday, September 5: 7:05 PM ET on NESN

Sunday, September 6: 1:35 PM ET on NESN

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Jacob Markstrom Speaks On Re-Joining Panthers, What He's Learned Since First Tour With Florida

The Florida Panthers are going to look a little different in the goaltending department during the upcoming NHL season.

Gone is longtime netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, who elected to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs during the offseason, following a seven-year stint in South Florida that saw him win a pair of Stanley Cups.

To replace Bobrovsky, Florida traded for a familiar face, acquiring veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils

Markstrom, 36, actually broke into the league with the Panthers after Florida selected him in the second round, 31st overall, during the 2008 NHL Draft.

On Wednesday, he joined The Dan LeBatard Show to chat about his return to the Panthers, acknowledging that while he has worn the Florida sweater before, he’s yet to do so since they switched to their current crest logo and away from the leaping panther.

Still, the smile on his face and the excitement in his voice were quite apparent.

“It’s a privilege and I’m super excited to be back here, to see what Mr. Vinnie Viola has done with this organization, and what Bill Zito and Paul Maurice have done with this team,” Markstrom said. “You see how hockey has grown in South Florida and the Fort Lauderdale area, it’s amazing to be back here and its completely different from when I was here the last time.”

It’s been 12 years since Markstrom was traded to the Vancouver Canucks in March of 2014, a deal that saw Roberto Luongo make his return to the Panthers.

Now, 12 hockey seasons, three teams and 535 NHL games later, it’s Markstrom’s turn to make his South Florida comeback.

Considering all the time that has passed, the miles he’s logged and the experience he’s gained, Markstrom is

“I’ve learned a lot, it would be weird if I didn’t,” he said with a smile. “When you come in here and move to North America as a 20-year-old, it’s a lot different than being 36 and played over 500 games in the league and played on four different teams, you pick up a lot. You have a lot of coaches and teammates and goalie coaches that you try to learn and take the positive from everyone, and then try to make it your own and build your game.

“So I think the toolbox is a lot bigger, and I’ve got a lot more tools in it now then when I was here, coming in with an empty suitcase, and now it’s full.”

At one point, LeBatard questioned Markstrom on playing a position that he finds “generally terrifying” asked him to explain “the real insanities that are part of your job.”

“I think the goaltending position in general is…if you win the game, you’re doing your job, and if you lose the game, it’s the goalie’s fault. That’s kinda the public opinion of people that don’t really know that much hockey.

“If a goalie makes a mistake, it’s in the back of the net. If somebody writing an essay or writing something on a keyboard and presses the wrong key, you just delete and put the right letter in. As a goalie, it’s 20,000 people in the stands cheering or booing, and that’s kind of our job and that’s why I love it.”

To watch Markstrom’s full interview with the LeBatard Show crew, check out the video below (the interview begins around the 2:20:30 mark).

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Steve Ballmer Could Sue the NBA, but It Would Be Tough to Win

The Los Angeles Clippers vehemently refute the NBA’s findings in the Kawhi Leonard salary-cap circumvention investigation, but converting that opposition into legal action will be challenging. That’s mainly because of the finality of league decisions and judicial deference to decisions of private associations.

The NBA on Wednesday concluded that the Clippers and several team officials, including owner Steve Ballmer, conspired to violate the salary cap by arranging for Leonard to receive extra compensation through endorsement deals for which the player did not have to perform services. Article XIII of the CBA prohibits salary-cap circumvention, meaning arrangements by teams to compensate players outside their employment contracts. Those arrangements undermine fair play and furnish teams with an unfair advantage over competitors.

The findings were based on a report issued by Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, which conducted 73 interviews with 60 people and reviewed more than 200,000 pages of documents obtained from individuals and organizations. Among other penalties, the NBA stripped the Clippers of five first-round picks, suspended Ballmer for a year and fined Leonard $700,000.

Of legal importance, the NBPA agreed with the league’s punishments, and Leonard signaled that he accepted responsibility for not carefully monitoring those around him. That eliminates the prospect of a grievance proceeding involving a neutral arbitrator, and it’s an important distinction from the last time an NBA commissioner stripped a team of five first-round picks.

More than 25 years ago, the NBA imposed that punishment on the Minnesota Timberwolves for a cap-circumvention scheme in which they paid forward Joe Smith less on initial one-year contracts so they could sign other players, in exchange for promising to later sign Smith to a long-term, lucrative deal after acquiring his “Larry Bird rights,” which allowed the team to exceed the cap to retain a player.

The NBA also voided Smith’s 1999–2000 contract with the Timberwolves and his previous Timberwolves contract from 1998–99. Smith and the NBPA then used arbitration provisions in the collective bargaining agreement to challenge Stern. After reviewing the facts, an arbitrator upheld Stern’s decision to void the contracts. With Leonard, the NBA imposed a penalty that was apparently acceptable to Leonard and the NBPA, and thus there won’t be an arbitration challenge that extends the controversy.

The Clippers deny wrongdoing and “vigorously challenge the findings.” 

David Kelly, an attorney for Ballmer, wrote a letter to NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on Wednesday in which Kelly argued that the NBA’s adverse findings and severe punishments don’t match what league officials had indicated to Ballmer and the Clippers. Kelly went so far as to call the NBA’s investigation a “witch hunt” that failed to adhere to basic legal notions of fairness, such as notice and the opportunity to respond, warning that the Clippers “are exploring every legal remedy to address this gross injustice.”

“League counsel,” Kelly wrote, “has acknowledged in our discussions that the league does not believe there was an agreement between the Clippers and Aspiration to funnel money to Kawhi Leonard.” 

Kelly also maintained that NBA attorneys acknowledge Ballmer “was a victim” of fraud inflicted by Joe Sanberg, the former co-CEO of Aspiration, who was recently sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud.

Ballmer’s attorney also insists that, while Silver has talked about ensuring a “fundamental sense of fairness” in the investigation, the Clippers were given less than an hour’s warning “and no opportunity to respond” before the NBA released its findings on Wednesday.

Further, Kelly charges that the NBA changed its “theory” of wrongdoing “at the 11th hour” to find it problematic that the Clippers introduced Leonard to team vendors and sponsors. The Clippers maintain that those introductions “are both proper and commonplace in the league,” that no rule prohibits them and that the league has known about the introductions for years without acting. 

As Kelly sees it, the NBA has failed to adhere to basic notions of “due process,” which require procedural fairness and notice that a particular action is considered wrong and can trigger a punishment, and is “retroactively punishing the Clippers for violating a rule that never existed.”

Forecasting a lawsuit

Kelly’s letter suggests that the Clippers are contemplating a lawsuit. The Clippers could draw from the legal playbook of former owner Donald Sterling, on whom Silver imposed a lifetime ban and who, through a legal battle with his wife, Shelly Sterling, lost control of the trust that owned the team. The Clippers could sue the league for violating antitrust law, contract law and fiduciary duties, and accuse the league of misrepresentation and interference. The team could seek an injunction to block the NBA from imposing its penalties on the Clippers, Ballmer and team officials.

The basic argument would be that the NBA and its teams have conspired in anticompetitive ways to degrade the Clippers, with accompanying harm suffered by consumers—the Clippers’ fans. The Clippers will be “less competitive” without five first-round picks. The  franchise could argue that team introductions are common and that the Clippers are being punished for conduct in which rival teams engage.

Another potential Clippers legal claim could concern what they depict as the NBA’s “witch hunt.” The team can’t credibly raise a due-process claim tied to the U.S. Constitution or California Constitution, because the NBA is a private body and thus isn’t a state actor, meaning a government entity that must adhere to due-process protections. 

But the Clippers could still tie due process to a contractual theory—namely, that while the NBA commissioner has extensive discretion under the league constitution and bylaws, the commissioner still must act fairly, including by providing fair notice and opportunities to respond.

Other possible claims might include breach of fiduciary duty, breach of the duty of loyalty, fraud, misrepresentation and intentional interference with prospective economic advantage. The gist of these claims would be that the NBA and Silver are obligated to act fairly and reasonably, and that their alleged failure to do so has harmed the Clippers’ business interests, relationships with players and sponsorship dealings.

To the extent that the Clippers have other specific examples of team introductions that resemble the Leonard introductions, their argument becomes stronger. As Sportico has detailed, there are examples of players in the NBA and other leagues signing endorsements with companies that also sponsor those players’ teams. 

Some examples include online shopping platform Rakuten having a sponsorship with the Golden State Warriors and an endorsement deal with Warriors star Steph Curry; Samuel Adams partnering with both the Boston Red Sox and then-third baseman Alex Bregman on the release of Bregman’s Beer; and Nike signing Neymar to an endorsement deal while also sponsoring Brazil’s national soccer team.

The Clippers can also attack the reliability of the findings. Wachtell acknowledges that its investigators interviewed Joe Sanberg, co-founder of former Clippers sponsor Aspiration and who, in June, was sentenced to 14 years in prison for fraud. Sanberg orchestrated a scheme to defraud lenders and investors, including Ballmer, of more than $248 million between 2020 and 2025. It’s fair to question Sanberg’s veracity and the accuracy of any materials he shared with the NBA.

In April, Kelly objected to Wachtell attorney David Anders, a former federal prosecutor who leads the NBA’s investigation, writing a letter to the judge who was set to sentence Sanberg. Anders said that he and other investigators sought Sanberg’s cooperation to further the investigation. Anders reflected that Sanberg provided “additional information that was relevant to our investigation” and helped the investigators “develop a more complete understanding of key events.” Kelly suggested that Sanberg agreed to provide the NBA with information “in return for a sentencing letter that the league submitted on his behalf.”

Game-planning NBA legal defenses

The NBA would be armed with several defenses to block a Clippers lawsuit and secure its dismissal long before there would be any pretrial discovery requiring each side to provide testimony and share evidence.

First, the NBA would cite case law standing for the legal principle that a court should abstain, which refers to judges declining to hear a case when there is another proceeding. Here, the NBA would argue that no court should interfere with the internal disputes of a private membership association. Indeed, courts usually provide broad deference to private associations and intervene only when they act arbitrarily or capriciously.

The NBA would assert that the Clippers were given ample opportunities to make their case, including the chance to offer specific examples of other teams engaging in similar conduct, and apparently failed to do so. The NBA would also argue that it followed applicable procedures in the league constitution and thus satisfied its contractual process obligations.

Second, the NBA would stress the league constitution, which is a contract among the league, teams and owners and specifies their respective duties and rights. The constitution is not the collective bargaining agreement, which governs the relationship among players, teams and the league. It is a separate source of contractual rights and obligations. By owning an NBA team, owners agree to the constitution, which expressly states that all decisions of the commissioner are “final and binding” and should understood as arbitration awards.

Third, the NBA would insist that there is no viable antitrust claim, as there is no injury to competition. The league could maintain that enforcement of its rules furthers, rather than hinders, competition, because it communicates to fans—consumers—that the games reflect fair play and genuine competition, and that teams attempting to circumvent fair-play rules are held accountable.

Fourth, the league would maintain that there is no conspiracy against the Clippers. The Wachtell report doesn’t merely argue there were introductions to otherwise organic endorsement opportunities; it says the introductions were ruses to facilitate payments directed by the Clippers. 

For instance, it says that in June 2020, team president of business operations Gillian Zucker wrote what were called “introduction” emails between the team and potential companies that might sign Leonard to endorsements but, Wachtell argues, were in reality “in an apparent effort to create the appearance of complying with the circumvention rules.”

To that point, Wachtell says Zucker claimed she was emailing in response to requests by those companies to get in touch with Leonard. Wachtell concluded that there was no evidence the companies actually requested introductions and found it suspicious that each of these emails was sent within six days of the others, “in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and while the NBA season was suspended.”

Other defenses might include the argument that there is no relevant fiduciary duty owed by the NBA or Silver to the Clippers or Ballmer, and that claims like intentional interference require an underlying wrongful act, which the NBA would maintain never happened.

How the Clippers can reduce penalties—and stigma

Ballmer has billions of dollars to spend on attorneys, should he try the litigation route, but as detailed above, he’d probably lose. 

Consider what that means. Not only would a court rule against him, but the scandal would play out in court over months or years, casting a cloud over the franchise and possibly making Ballmer persona non grata with the NBA and fellow owners.

Ballmer might instead consider the approach used by the New England Patriots and owner Robert Kraft in the aftermath of a damning report by a law firm, the Wells Report, accusing the team of cheating through a purported conspiracy to slightly underinflate footballs—Deflategate. 

Many urged the Patriots to sue, and there was significant scientific evidence that the NFL’s assertions were uncorroborated, if not outright implausible. 

But Kraft didn’t sue, knowing that the case would have gone nowhere. As in the NBA, punishments by the commissioner are final and conclusive. Instead, he and the Patriots relied on lawyers, scientists and commentators to refute the claims. The team released The Wells Report in Context, a document that didn’t help in court but likely did shift public opinion and left serious questions about whether the NFL was right. 

The Clippers could offer a similar document that tries to poke holes in the NBA’s assertions. The team might argue that some of the materials are not reliable, because they are not based on sworn testimony, and thus individuals making assertions wouldn’t risk perjury charges if they knowingly lied. 

The Clippers might also maintain that executives of other companies involved, including sponsors that do business with other NBA teams and the league in addition to the Clippers, might have deflected blame onto the Clippers to protect their own business interests. Further, the Clippers might contend that additional texts, emails and comments provide important context not reflected in Wachtell’s report.

None of those arguments might help in court, but they could help the Clippers and Ballmer defend their reputations and legacies.

Ballmer could also attempt to negotiate a reduced draft-pick penalty, perhaps by agreeing to a longer separation from the team. The NBA reduced the Timberwolves’ draft penalty, first from five picks to four and then from four to three, after team executive Kevin McHale and owner Glen Taylor agreed to serve suspensions. Obviously, any Ballmer suit against the NBA and Silver probably wouldn’t help the team’s effort to reduce the punishment.

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Danila Yurov Named Minnesota Wild's 2026-27 NHL Breakout Candidate

Danila Yurov was solid in his rookie season in the NHL, finding himself scattered around the lineup.

With injuries to players like Joel Eriksson Ek and the trade that sent Marco Rossi to the Vancouver Canucks, Yurov was forced to play up and down the lineup, occasionally finding himself alongside Kirill Kaprizov or down on the fourth line playing more of a two-way game.

Through all of that, Yurov posted 12 goals and 27 points in 73 games, averaging 13:18 of ice time. Yurov flashed some of the skill that made him the 24th overall pick of the 2022 NHL draft and a highly regarded prospect in the Wild's pipeline. 

The 22-year-old will remain an important part of the Wild's current roster and future. Most early line projections anticipate Yurov skating as the third-line center alongside Yakov Trenin and Maxim Shabonov. That trio could bode well for Yurov. Trenin is a physical force who will go to the dirty areas of the ice to win the puck, while Shabonov is more of a perimeter player with plenty of skill who can work passing plays with Yurov.

The Wild's second-line center appears to be Ryan Hartman, who will skate with Blake Coleman and Bobby Brink. With strong performances, there is an avenue for Yurov to work his way up the lineup.

TheHockeyNews.com's Jared Clinton is one of those people, as he predicts Yurov will be the Wild's breakout candidate during the 2026-27 season. 

In the 2026 Champions edition of THN.com's magazine, Clinton believes Yurov has the most room for growth.

At points this season, Danila Yurov had his detractors. But it’s important to remember the 22-year-old’s rookie campaign was a trial by fire. He was thrust into top-six duty on club with a high aspirations. That experience should serve Yurov well, however, as it surely helped him round out his game and understand the rigors of the NHL. With the right roster setup, he might become a background player, but that doesn’t mean he can’t break out beyond his 27-point output. - Jared Clinton
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As mentioned previously, Yurov is skilled with the puck and excels at working passing lanes and give-and-gos. Yurov also showed that his skating is a strength in the NHL. According to NHL EDGE, Yurov ranked in the 90th percentile in max skating speed, posting a skating burst of 23.17 miles per hour. He also ranked in the 80th percentile for skating bursts greater than 22 miles per hour, the 68th percentile for skating bursts between 20-22 miles per hour, and the 62nd percentile for skating bursts between 18-20 miles per hour. 

With plenty of tools at his disposal, including a 6-foot-1 frame, Yurov has provided every reason to believe there are additional steps he can take as his game develops. 

For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free.

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How The Canadiens Fared In The Athletic’s Player Tiers 2026-27

Yesterday, The Athletic released its NHL Player Tiers 2026-27, and the Montreal Canadiens fared pretty well. In last year’s list, captain Nick Suzuki was part of Tier 3, which is the “All-Star” tier, but this year, he has moved up to Tier 2, that of “franchise players”. The center is not the only one who made that jump, though; the same goes for defenseman Lane Hutson.

As for Cole Caufield, he was in Tier 5 “Support” last season, but this year he jumps to Tier 3 All-Star. The Canadiens have two players in Tier 4 “Stars”: Noah Dobson and Juraj Slafkovsky. This is a repeat performance for Dobson, who was in that tier last season, although he went from 4A to 4B. As for the power forward, he didn’t even make the list last year, so that’s an interesting place to first appear.

Canadiens: High Praise For Demidov From Great Defenseman
Canadiens: What To Expect From Dobson This Season
Canadiens Hutson Makes Top 15 Assists List For Second Time

Montreal also has two players in Tier 5 this season: Ivan Demidov and Jakub Dobes. Unsurprisingly, neither was on the list last season, as they were rookies. The only Hab who was on the list last season and isn’t this year is Samuel Montembeault, for obvious reasons.

Are those rankings fair? For now, they are, since it’s about what’s been done so far and not what could eventually be done. However, one has to wonder what Suzuki would have to do to land in Tier 1 “MVP”. He may not have scored 120 points, but he still had 101 points while being the league’s top defensive forward. He’s a complete player, one who gives you offensive production but who you can also play when the game is on the line, and you have a lead to protect. Whatever the situation, Suzuki is the player you want to have on the ice. He’s also very tough to rattle; he never panics on the ice and has a calming influence on the team. The 27-year-old young veteran is the heartbeat of the Canadiens and one of, if not the, their most valuable players.

As for Hutson, the fact that he’s in Tier 2 is impressive. Oftentimes, Hutson doesn’t get the respect he deserves because people do not give him close to enough credit for the defensive side of his game, but it didn’t hurt him in this ranking. Will he ever make the jump to Tier 1? Time will tell; the article mentions that it remains to be seen if he’ll have a Quinn Hughes-like leap, but that’s not necessarily fair. After all, when Hughes first came onto the scene, he was very much a one-sided weapon, and he was shielded with easier defensive matchups; that’s not the case with Hutson, and it never has been. In that sense, he doesn’t need a Hughes-like leap; he needs to keep on steadily progressing to reach MVP status.

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Rockets extend Amen Thompson through 2032

Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors

The NBA dog days of summer are slowly coming to an end as training camp kicks off in less than a month and preseason games are a little over a month away. The Houston Rockets will most likely start training camp on September 29th, though it hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Normally, there isn’t much NBA news this time of year, with MLB inching closer to the playoffs and the NFL and NCAA beginning their new season. However, the NBA has dominated the conversation the last couple of days, first starting with the NBA coming down hard on the Los Angeles Clippers for circumventing the salary cap in the Kawhi Leonard deal.

Houston Rockets Extend Amen Thompson, Signing the Young Star Through 2032

Thursday, another story dropped, first reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, and it is much happier news if you are a Houston Rockets fan, and specifically if you are Amen Thompson. The Rockets have reportedly signed Amen Thompson to a five-year, $208 million rookie-scale contract extension.

The deal includes no player or team option, so Thompson will be with the Rockets through the 2032 season. Several reports say Thompson’s deal will be ascending, meaning it will start at around $35 million a year and finish at around $42 million a year in the final year of the deal.

Both sides seem to have come out well with this deal. Thompson is now the second-highest-paid player on the team, only behind Kevin Durant, at the same time the Rockets were able to sign Thompson for well under a max contract, which made it a no-brainer for the franchise.

Since being drafted by the Rockets fourth overall in the 2023 draft, Thompson has become one of the league’s top defenders, making an All-NBA Defensive Team in 2025. Thompson is coming off his best scoring and assist season of his career, in which he averaged a career-high 18.3 points and 5.3 assists per game. Thompson has become irreplaceable for the Rockets, taking over last season as their defensive leader and taking on a bigger offensive role with Fred VanVleet missing the entire season.

Now going into season four, Thompson is looking to go from an up-and-coming young star to a legitimate two-way star player. Of course, there is room for improvement when it comes to his jump shot and becoming a better overall scorer, but Thompson has already shown that he has star potential written all over him.

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Ranking the top 25 NBA free agents set to hit the 2027 market

As the NBA calendar churns, and as teams look ahead to next season, some of the more interesting storylines extend beyond that.

But, as always in the NBA, player movement and free agency are big draws, so it’s never too early to look ahead to the free agent class of players who may be available during the 2027 offseason. The interesting thing with NBA contracts is that there are multiple levers that could lead to a player being available on the open market.

The simplest are expiring contracts that make players unrestricted free agents at the end of the season, allowing them to sign wherever they choose.

Then there are players who will enter player options or team options. A player option gives the player the right to exercise a one-year term under a salary set during negotiations of the player’s current contract. The team option allows the team to exercise the right to retain the player.

There are also restricted free agents, but it has increasingly become a rarity for opposing teams to snatch away key contributors, since the player’s current team has the option to match an offer sheet. In this case, the player’s current team has all the leverage.

With that in mind, here’s a look at the USA TODAY Sports Top 25 free agents for the 2027 offseason, broken down by their contractual status:

Top 2027 NBA unrestricted free agents

9. Luguentz Dort (Atlanta Hawks)

Guard; 278.3 ppg, 1.2 apg, 3.6 rpg in 69 games

He saw a pretty sizable drop in shooting efficiency across the board, and that hurts his case for a long-term deal. He’s a defensive stopper, but a bounce back on offense with the Hawks will be required for a big payday.

8. Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets)

Guard; 3214.1 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.7 rpg in 60 games (2024-25)

The Rockets suffered last season when VanVleet missed the entire season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament, and he should stabilize the point guard position this year.

7. CJ McCollum (Atlanta Hawks)

Guard; 3418.7 ppg, 3.9 apg, 3.3 rpg in 76 games

His introduction into the Hawks — first as a reserve and then as a closer in the playoffs — shows McCollum is still adaptable and has the ability to assimilate into a system. His defense is an issue, as is his age, but he’s a solid veteran presence who can lift an offense.

6. Jimmy Butler (Golden State Warriors)

Forward; 3620.0 ppg, 4.9 apg, 5.6 rpg in 38 games

He will be coming off a torn anterior cruciate ligament and turns 37 Sept. 14, but Butler can still be a playmaker when healthy. Butler also coasts at times during the regular season before turning it on in the playoffs; while that may frustrate fans, at his age, it’s just a prudent approach. Either way, it’s reasonable to expect some type of slowdown, given that he’ll be 38 at the start of the 2027-28 season.

5. Tyler Herro (Milwaukee Bucks)

Guard; 2620.5 ppg, 4.1 apg, 4.8 rpg in 33 games

He’s a three-level scorer who has focused extensively on his efficiency metrics, and he’s a player who has deftly handled being involved in trade talks throughout his career. Yet, it’s unclear if the Bucks view Herro as a long-term piece, and this season will be telling. Either way, his significant limitations on defense can make him something of a liability when opposing teams target him.

4. RJ Barrett (Toronto Raptors)

Guard; 2619.3 ppg, 3.3 apg, 5.3 rpg in 57 games

He had his best season (and postseason), so he’s poised to cash in on a solid deal if his production stays the same. And, despite having seven NBA seasons under his belt, he only just turned 26 in June.

3. Michael Porter Jr. (Brooklyn Nets)

Forward; 2824.2 ppg, 3.0 apg, 7.1 rpg in 52 games

His usage rate jumped up more than 10 percentage points to a career high 30.5% in his first season with the Nets, but he registered only a moderate drop in efficiency metrics. He’s a plus rebounder and thrives on the perimeter, but he’ll need help to lead a team to competitive play.

2. Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors)

Guard; 3826.6 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.6 rpg in 43 games

Set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of this upcoming season, it’s tough to envision Curry anywhere but Golden State. Despite his age, he remains a lethal shooter and one of the tougher players to guard because of his off-ball movement and quick release.

1. Kawhi Leonard (Toronto Raptors)

Forward; 3527.9 ppg, 3.6 apg, 6.4 rpg in 65 games

When he’s available and healthy, Leonard is among the best two-way players in the NBA. The specter of the NBA investigation into alleged salary cap circumvention is no longer hanging over Leonard’s head, so his trade to the Raptors should be resolved soon.

Notable mention: Zach LaVine (Kings), Cameron Johnson (Nuggets), Miles Bridges (Suns), Saddiq Bey (Pelicans), Miles McBride (Knicks), Donte DiVincenzo (Timberwolves), Max Strus (Clippers)

Top 2027 NBA free agents: player options

12. Paul George (Boston Celtics)

Guard/forward; 36; $56.6 million player option for 2027-2817.3 ppg, 3.6 apg, 5.3 rpg in 37 games

Availability and a dropoff in production are the big concerns, though perhaps George could revive his career in Boston, where he should have the green light to shoot from the perimeter. But he’ll have a choice to make — to either secure that lucrative one-year salary for 2027-28, or to opt out instead for a multi-year agreement.

11. Brandon Ingram (Los Angeles Clippers)

Forward; 28; $41.9 million player option for 2027-2821.5 ppg, 3.7 apg, 5.6 rpg in 77 games

This is another interesting case because he’s still in his prime, though the Clippers may not view him as a long-term fixture (assuming the trade for Kawhi Leonard does go through).

10. Dejounte Murray (New Orleans Pelicans)

Guard; 29; $30.8 million player option for 2027-2816.7 ppg, 6.4 apg, 5.4 rpg in 14 games

He looked solid in his small-sample return late in the season from a ruptured Achilles tendon, and he is an excellent two-way guard option with some size. A big year could prompt him to decline his option for a more lucrative, long-term deal.

9. Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers)

Guard; 36; $14.1 million player option for 2027-2824.9 ppg, 7.1 apg, 4.7 rpg in 58 games (2024-25)

It’s no sure thing to come off an Achilles tendon rupture, especially as a player of his age. But Lillard is still one of this generation’s all-time shooters, and his style of play should allow for sustained production. Yet, given his desire to return to Portland, it feels like Lillard is there for the long-term.

8. Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves)

Center; 34; $38 million player option for 2027-2810.9 ppg, 1.7 apg, 11.5 rpg in 76 games

He is still a dominant defensive force and has been the anchor for the Timberwolves. Though Gobert is offensively limited, there is a demand for rim protectors, though he may want one more chance to ink a lucrative, long-term deal.

7. Anthony Davis (Washington Wizards)

Center; 33; $62.8 million player option for 2027-2820.4 ppg, 2.8 apg, 11.1 rpg in 20 games

This will be an interesting case because, on the open market, Davis won’t see the type of payday available to him through the option. So this will test whether he sees Washington as a longer-term option. Either way, availability and durability concerns continue to prevent Davis from being a dominant force.

6. Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks)

Guard; 34; $42.4 million player option for 2027-2824.7 ppg, 4.6 apg, 4.8 rpg in 50 games (2024-25)

He missed all of last season as he recovered from his torn anterior cruciate ligament injury suffered in March 2025, so it will be interesting to see how he responds this season. Still, he should remain one of the best ball-handlers in the NBA and a player who can operate in the tightest of spaces. The complicated element in this is that the Mavericks are rebuilding and may have a different timeline to consider.

5. LeBron James (Philadelphia 76ers)

Forward; 41; $4.1 million player option for 2027-2820.9 ppg, 7.2 apg, 6.1 rpg in 60 games

At this point of his career, his best asset is his ability to create plays for others, especially in transition. But by taking the deal James signed this offseason with the Sixers, it was clear this was not about money. He wants to compete for championships, and it’s hard to see James — who is extremely calculated and measured in his career choices — to upend his career once more. Given his age, his workload will need to be managed cautiously.

4. Kevin Durant (Houston Rockets)

Forward; 37; $46.1 million player option for 2027-2826.0 ppg, 4.8 apg, 5.5 rpg in 78 games

He might be the best pure scorer of this generation, and he still has plenty of offense left to offer, especially with his size and shooting ability. There was the issue of an alleged burner and some potential concerns in the locker room, but Durant has been searching for an elusive third NBA title.

3. Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks)

Center; 30; $61 million player option for 2027-2820.1 ppg, 3.0 apg, 11.9 rpg in 75 games

He showed how versatile he can be when the Knicks altered their offense mid-postseason to run distribution through Towns. He boasts deep shooting range, can pass and rebound and can step up his defensive effort when he wants. He’s in his prime, but foul trouble and some occasional inconsistent stretches can crop up.

2. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Miami Heat)

Forward; 31; $62.8 million player option for 2027-2827.6 ppg, 5.4 apg, 9.8 rpg in 36 games

He didn’t hand-pick the Heat to not eventually sign a long-term extension there. Because of the trade, he won’t be extension eligible until early January. Either way, he is an offensive force and one of the elite stars in the sport. Nagging calf injuries, however, are a concern worth monitoring.

1. Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets)

Center; 31; $62.8 million player option for 2027-2827.7 ppg, 10.7 apg, 12.9 rpg in 65 games

The three-time Most Valuable Player remains the most gifted offensive player on the planet, with his low-post footwork and elite vision and passing ability. He and the Nuggets will almost certainly work out a massive max contract, worth north of $359 million, but Denver needs to find ways to keep Jokić happy with a competitive roster.

Notable mention: Jrue Holiday (Trail Blazers), Jalen Green (Suns), Julius Randle (Nets), Ty Jerome (Grizzlies), Bennedict Mathurin (Pelicans)

Top 2027 NBA free agents: team options

4. Santi Aldama (Dallas Mavericks)

Center; 25; $17 million team option for 2027-2814.0 ppg, 2.9 apg, 6.7 rpg in 43 games

Aldama, a 7-foot, versatile scorer who has improved every season he has been in the league, could be a nice asset for the Mavericks, or any team he’d join. Size and shooting range are his best assets.

3. Ajay Mitchell (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Guard; 24; $2.9 million team option for 2027-2813.6 ppg, 3.6 apg, 3.3 rpg in 57 games

After Mitchell broke out last season, especially in the playoffs, when the Thunder suffered a number of injuries, this team option is a massive bargain for Oklahoma City. The Thunder will likely want to try to negotiate a long-term extension to show goodwill, because Mitchell could become a key — and young — piece in the Thunder’s identity. Luxury tax and apron issues are considerations, but Mitchell is certainly a player worth investing in. If he hits the market, he should command a nice payday.

2. Josh Hart (New York Knicks)

Forward; 31; $22.4 million team option for 2027-2812.0 ppg, 4.8 apg, 7.4 rpg in 66 games

He won’t wow you with his stats, but Hart is versatile and makes the types of winning plays that don’t necessarily show up on the box score. He’s an excellent rebounder and can stroke a decently reliable shot from the perimeter, though he has found his home in New York. He’s a key part of this core. Will salary issues force the Knicks to move on?

1. Norman Powell (Chicago Bulls)

Guard; 33; $22.6 million team option for 2027-2821.7 ppg, 2.5 apg, 3.5 rpg in 58 games

Coming off his first and only All-Star season with the Heat, Powell showed that he can be a steady scoring presence, even when taking on a larger role. But the Bulls are in something of a rebuild, so a veteran of Powell’s age might not fit their timeline.

Notable mention: Isaiah Stewart (Grizzlies), Jaylen Wells (Grizzlies), Isaiah Joe (Pistons), Jaylin Williams (Thunder)

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ranking the top 25 NBA free agents set to hit the 2027 market

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Three Storylines That Will Define the Red Wings Heading Into 2026-27

The Detroit Red Wings are entering a pivotal 101st season, one that arrives with more uncertainty swirling around the organization than perhaps any other point in its recent history. 

The franchise is still searching for its next general manager following Steve Yzerman's departure, its captain has publicly requested a trade, and a wave of contract-year veterans and rising prospects will be tasked with reshaping a roster that finished last season 22nd in scoring and stumbled to the finish line. 

Add it all up, and it's fair to say Detroit hasn't entered a season with this many unresolved questions in years. Before puck drop, here's a closer look at the three biggest storylines that figure to define Detroit's season.

Dylan Larkin's Return

Detroit's captain situation looks increasingly unresolved as training camp approaches, with fans starting to accept that Dylan Larkin may open the season still on the roster. 

His trade request went public back in early June, and reports indicate he hasn't budged on the limited list of teams he'd accept a deal to, leaving the Red Wings with little room to work with as they try to find a trade partner.

There's some precedent for a strained relationship eventually healing, as fans remember the frosty reception Sergei Fedorov faced after Detroit matched his offer sheet from Carolina in 1998, only for him to win the fanbase back by helping deliver two more Stanley Cups.

Larkin could go down a similar path to reconciliation with Red Wings fans isn't out of the question. It leaves plenty of open questions heading into camp like whether Larkin sits out, whether he keeps the captaincy, and how he performs with more scrutiny on him than ever before.

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Contract Years for Key Players

The Red Wings enter 2026-27 with several contract situations hanging over the roster, all against the backdrop of a franchise still searching for its next general manager.

Justin Faulk, acquired at a steep cost from St. Louis, is entering the final year of his deal and will need to bounce back after a rough finish to last season if he hopes to cash in on his next contract, while also serving as a veteran mentor for Detroit's young defensive core. 

Andrew Copp, a Michigan native who signed with his hometown team in 2022, is also entering a contract year, bringing defensive reliability, leadership and will look to build off a career-best season.

Alex DeBrincat is in a similar spot, but the outlook there looks considerably brighter. Coming off a career year with 85 points, DeBrincat has reportedly made clear he wants to stay in Detroit long term, a comforting sign for a franchise navigating plenty of uncertainty elsewhere, backed further by a 16-team no-trade list that gives him real say in his future either way.

Whoever takes over as general manager will inherit a roster full of homegrown or adopted Michigan talent looking to be part of the solution as Detroit tries to finally end its decade-long playoff drought.

Overhauled Offense

After a rough finish that saw Detroit go 9-15-5 down the stretch with one of the league's worst offenses, the Red Wings enter season 101 with a noticeably reshaped attack. Newcomer Viktor Arvidsson steps into the second line alongside Alex DeBrincat and Copp after a 54-point bounce-back season in Boston, effectively replacing departed forward Patrick Kane.

Detroit also added grit up front in Keegan Kolesar, a physical, hard-forechecking winger acquired from Vegas who brings championship pedigree and one of the league's heaviest hit totals in recent years.

Beyond the veteran additions, Detroit is counting on internal growth from young forwards Nate Danielson and Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to round out the retooled offense.

Taken together, it's a significantly different-looking group than the one that finished 22nd in scoring last season, and the Red Wings are hoping this new mix of proven scorers, physical depth and rising prospects is enough to finally end the NHL's longest active playoff drought.

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More details pour out about NBA findings in Clippers, Kawhi Leonard salary cap circumvention case

The initial headlines were shocking: Five first-round picks taken away, Steve Ballmer suspended for a year, head of basketball operations Lawrence Frank suspended for six months, a $30 million fine. The loss of all those first-round picks is as close to an organizational death sentence as the NBA can hand out.

How the league got to the point Commissioner Adam Silver felt he had to bring the hammer down is detailed in the 36-page summary of the Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz report (the law firm that did the actual investigation for the league).

How we got here

That report starts with something reported here and elsewhere: That when Kawhi Leonard was a free agent in 2019, his business manager Dennis Robertson — "Uncle Dennis" as he is more commonly known (now suspended from league business for five years) — asked the Raptors, Lakers, Clippers and every other team that reached out with wild requests, such as buying him a house or car, partial team ownership, and no-show endorsement deals. The NBA investigated at the time but found nothing, and the report agrees that the Clippers did nothing at that time.

However, less than a year later in the spring of 2020 (at the height of the pandemic), Robertson was putting pressure on the Clippers to, in the words of the report, "facilitate off-court business opportunities for Mr. Leonard." The report went on to say Ballmer told Robertson, "he and Clippers' personnel were all 'collective workers to try to help [Mr. Leonard] achieve his financial goals,' and Ms. Zucker assured Mr. Robertson that Mr. Ballmer would 'follow through on his promise.'"

The Clippers knew Leonard had a looming contract extension (which he ultimately signed in August of 2021), and so Robertson had some leverage.

How does the report know all this? Because Frank took (and retained) detailed notes from a meeting that involved him, Ballmer, Zucker and Robertson. Frank left a paper trail.

The endorsements

Within a few months of that meeting, Gillian Zucker, the president of business operations for the Clippers (now suspended for a year), set up connections for Robertson and Leonard with Daktronics, Boingo Wireless and Lockton insurance (this was in addition to a previous introduction to Aspiration).

The claim to innocence Ballmer and the Clippers make is that they introduced the sides — all three within six days in June at the height of the pandemic — but had no dealings with the endorsements beyond that. These were team sponsors, and there is no direct link showing Ballmer/Clippers paid any of the endorsers (including defunct green bank Aspiration) telling them to pass the money along to Leonard.

The report lays out how the Clippers operated in a much more old-school, mafia-style way. The Clippers were in levels of negotiations to do major business with these companies (Daktronics built the Halo Board in the Intuit Dome, for example), but first they wanted to introduce the companies to their good friend Kawhi Leonard and his business partner, and maybe there was a way you guys could connect. There were some dealings in between, but essentially these companies set up endorsement deals with Leonard (for a total of $18 million, according to the report) and not long after, those companies had more direct business with the Clippers coming their way.

In the report, Zucker said those emails were introductions made because the companies requested it. Investigators were not buying it. The report says there was no evidence that all three companies requested meetings with Leonard within days of each other at a time the NBA season was suspended due to COVID. By September, all three companies had endorsement deals with Leonard. The report says Daktronics believed that "failing to enter into a commercial relationship with Leonard could jeopardize its ability to win the bid for the Intuit Dome."

That there were four companies tied to this matters. The max the NBA can fine a team for salary cap circumvention is $7.5 million per case, but combine the four and you get to the $30 million figure.

It's worth noting that while Leonard released a statement (on social media and through his new agent) essentially saying he didn't know anything about this, the report details that he was hands-on with parts of the Aspiration endorsement. However, getting Leonard and the NBPA on board meant the league could keep this from going to a neutral arbitrator, as the players' union could have demanded (under the terms of the CBA). That would have both dragged this out and opened a door for Ballmer and the Clippers to fight the penalties and findings internally. Now, it's likely headed to court.

Could the Clippers get some of those first-round picks back? Sure. The NBA did that the last time they came down hard on a franchise for cap circumvention, the Joe Smith case with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Eventually, they got two of their last five picks back, but they also didn't fight the punishment and largely kept a low profile, essentially getting rewarded for good behavior. That doesn't sound like the direction Ballmer's heading.

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Why Tarik Skubal thinks Stan Kroenke could turn Angels into coveted home for free agents

The Dodgers' Tarik Skubal throws a first-inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park last Friday.
The Dodgers' Tarik Skubal throws a first-inning pitch against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park last Friday. (Gregory Shamus / Getty Images)

In his first offseason as the Angels’ owner, Arte Moreno landed the best player available in free agency: Vladimir Guerrero, the only player to wear an Angels cap on a Hall of Fame plaque.

Could Stan Kroenke do the same thing in his first offseason as the Angels’ owner?

Kroenke is not expected to be approved as Moreno’s successor until early next year. By then, players might be in spring training — or might still be sitting home, awaiting the end of a lockout and a subsequent free-agent signing frenzy.

The best player in this fall’s free-agent class is certain of one thing: Whenever Kroenke takes over, Anaheim instantly becomes a preferred destination for stars across the major leagues, with a new owner not just promising to spend to win but a demonstrated history of doing so.

Read more:Shaikin: What’s in a team name? In Anaheim, maybe the future of the Angels

“Absolutely,” Dodgers pitcher Tarik Skubal told The Times. “Not only an owner that has obvious financial backing, but an owner that has turned the Rams into what the Rams are. I think they’re the Super Bowl favorite this year. There’s an owner that cares about winning.

“The impact he brings to the Angels? You bring an owner that really cares about winning and is willing to do whatever it takes to win and invest, not only with players on the field but all the stuff behind the scenes, like clubhouse renovations. I’m sure there will be a lot of stuff there that changes to make it state-of-the-art, because all that stuff matters.”

Under Perry Minasian, the Angels’ general manager from 2021-26, the largest free-agent signing approved by Moreno: pitcher Yusei Kikuchi, for $63 million.

Kroenke would be the richest owner in baseball, with a net worth estimated by Forbes at $24 billion.

Skubal said he is focused on helping the Dodgers toward a third consecutive World Series championship and has not thought much about his free agency. Speaking generally, he said, it is likely that players that might not have considered signing with the Angels might now do so.

“You want to feel wanted,” Skubal said. “And you have an owner that is willing to do whatever it takes to win. Winning is the most important thing in sports. When you get yourself in that environment, I think guys do want to play there.

“Just look around the league: Guys tend to gravitate toward teams that are winning and teams that are in the playoff hunt every single year, with World Series aspirations every single year. I think free agents gravitate toward that in general. I’m sure that will be the case.”

From the players’ viewpoint, the successive sales of major league franchises at record values — the San Diego Padres at $3.9 billion, then the Angels at $4 billion — reflects good economic times. From the owners’ standpoint, the mid-market Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA just sold at a $4.5 billion valuation.

Commissioner Rob Manfred has cited lagging franchise values in baseball as a reason owners want a salary cap, which the NBA has. Yet the Padres and Angels sold before their owners found out whether they could secure the salary cap the league insists is a primary objective in collective bargaining.

“I think it’s pretty obvious what that says, right?” said Skubal, one of eight players on the union’s executive subcommittee.

Read more:Inside Stan Kroenke’s deal to buy the Angels: ‘Wherever he buys, he wins’

“If that’s the complaint that ownership and MLB is holding onto, I think they’re proving themselves wrong by selling these teams for record values. I think those clubs selling continues to support the argument that our game is in a really good spot.”

The owners also pitch a salary cap as a tonic for competitive balance, citing what they say is a $441-million gap between the Dodgers’ top-ranked payroll and the Miami Marlins’ bottom-ranked payroll.

The players point to franchise sales as another economic indicator. The Padres last sold for $800 million, in 2012. The Angels last sold for $183.5 million, in 2003.

“It’s a very profitable business venture,” Skubal said. “The sport itself is great. The product on the field is outstanding.”

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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.