After handing Robert Sarver a one-year suspension and a $10MM fine following the investigation into the Suns owner’s workplace misconduct, NBA commissioner Adam Silver told some concerned players that he considered having the league’s Board of Governors vote on Sarver’s fate, but had some legal concerns about the process, report Baxter Holmes and Ramona Shelburne of ESPN (Insider link). Instead, Silver repeatedly spoke directly to Sarver in an effort to encourage him to sell the franchise.
As Holmes and Shelburne outline, Sarver was upset by his punishment and questioned why it was more severe than the one Mark Cuban received following an investigation into the Mavericks’ front office in 2018. Silver explained that the differences stemmed from the fact that Cuban wasn’t accused of misconduct himself.
While persistent nudging from Silver may not have been enough on its own to convince Sarver to sell, the Suns were facing the prospect of losing several key sponsors if he remained on as the team’s owner. Sources tell Holmes and Shelburne that nearly 30 sponsors are up for renewal after the coming season, including PayPal, which issued a statement calling for Sarver’s removal. There were indications that many companies would follow PayPal’s lead and put out similar statements.
“The walls were closing in on (Sarver),” a source close to the process told ESPN. “A group of sponsors were all moving towards this common position.”
After Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reported last week that a “high-end estimate” for the sale price of the Suns could be $3 billion or more, ESPN’s duo is hearing the same thing. Multiple sources who spoke to Holmes and Shelburne, noting that the NBA has rebounded well from the impact of COVID-19 and has a new TV deal around the corner, predicted that the franchise could sell for more than $3 billion.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- As he preaches defensive effort and intensity to his new team, Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said on Tuesday that he likes the fact that multiple starting lineup spots are for grabs in training camp, according to ESPN’s Dave McMenamin. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are locked in as starters and Russell Westbrook will “absolutely” join them if he shows the effort Ham is looking for on defense, but that would still leave two spots open. “I think it adds a little spice to camp, and LeBron and AD, they are who they are, as well as Russ, those guys are going to go at them,” Ham said. “That’s only going to make everybody better. It’s a controlled competitive environment.”
- Davis told reporters on Wednesday that he was affected last season by a wrist injury that he suffered in January, tweets Jovan Buha of The Athletic. The Lakers‘ big man added that it’s not an excuse for his poor three-point shooting (18.6%), but that it affected the follow-through on his shot.
- According to head coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors viewed JaMychal Green as a “critical” offseason addition because he adds some much-needed veteran experience to a young bench. Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area has the story.
- Steve Ballmer of the Clippers remains the richest owner in sports, according to a report from Forbes, which estimates Ballmer’s net worth at $83 billion. Robert Pera of the Grizzlies ($17.6 billion) and Dan Gilbert of the Cavaliers ($17.3 billion) are the other NBA owners who rank in Forbes’ top 10.
Wait for it.., A’sfaninLexington comes storming in notifying the world that Joe Lacob is the 25th richest owner in the NBA at just 1.5 billion. Yet the Warriors spend 3 to 400 million every year on player salaries !!!
Rah, rah. Toot toot. Warriors Champs the next 10 years.., EASILY !! Blah blah blah.
I always thought the UK meant United Kingdom. Kentucky makes more sense though
I didn’t realize the A’s had fans
A’s just don’t have a owner. Fisher is by far the worst owner in any sport. He has not been seen at a game in over 5 years.
Probably United Kingdom but I’m not giving that to him. It’s a fairly harmless way to show my disapproval of the horrendous way he tarnishes the image of true Golden State Warriors fans here on this website.
Nicknames are a way of life for me anyway. Thanks ElvisMachine.
Westbrook has to be a starter
Ham won’t be able to fix Westbrook if his shot attempts is average less than 30 per game
Shoot the ball beyond 6 feet, Mr Westbrook
Jump shot, man
If Westbrook is not being fixed, Lakers are doomed
Westbrook is almost 34 and entering his 15th season. It’s ridiculous to think his jump shot can be fixed by more attempts.
But if he’s the sixth man he can provide an athletic spark off the bench. Disruptive defender, dynamic offensive slasher and scorer when his confidence comes back. Didn’t work as a starter last year.., it’s time to come off the bench.
Then when he plays horribly you can reduce his minutes a lot easier. If you start him and he plays horrible, it is too much of a circus headline after 2 months when you “demote” him to the bench.
I’m agreeing with that thought. I get the anti Westbrook sentiment but 78 games played while Davis and James sat most the season is telling. Ham talks a nice game.
30 a game? Preposterous
If Russ doesn’t accept his reduced role he will be out like Iverson
I totally get Silver not pursuing the removal of Sarver due to the concerns noted. And it looks like, ultimately, the pressure to sell will work. That said, the fact that Sarver has shown zero remorse for his behavior makes the one-year suspension look even lighter in retrospect.
If the goal was always to pressure him to sell, why not have gone with a multi-year suspension if only for better PR?