It's not only that we live in a society where more and more people can't distinguish from real and fake (AI, conspiracies, blatant lies), it's that a large segment of the population Does Not Care if it's fake (WWE, reality TV, celebrity endorsements). Giannis is "all in" alrighty. On himself. And always was.
You wondered why contenders didn't take significant swings for game changing players at the deadline. I guess I'd ask - how often do teams do this and how often does it actually work? My guess is that it's pretty rare for teams to make massive trade deadline acquisitions, and that usually those acquisition don't pan out that season. Might be worth doing some digging?
That is a very fair point! My lying memory makes it feel like there's usually SOMEONE making a move, but I should probably fact-check myself first. Let me get back to you on this in a bit
Howard Beck had a story on this earlier this year.
In some ways, the contenders not ponying up for stars who might be overpaid (AD - overpaid, JJJ - tbd), is the mirror of image of teams tanking for the stars who will be affordable and give them flexibility to build around. Even Giannis, who is considered “number three in the league with a bullet” in the words of Zach Lowe is going to need a 35% max on his extension and I don’t know how thrilled I would be as a team to pay that. I think in some ways this is a market correction from just paying your star whatever they are asking, even if the contract will be underwater in the out years (although I think De’Aaron Fox’s contract is proof that this still exists). It makes team building so hard because there is little flexibility with those massive contracts. That’s not to say that contenders couldn’t have made smaller moves around the margins, just that trading for some of the big stars that moved might have scared them off with their contracts or extensions.
I regret to say you are not being stupid at all; the gambling and WWE-ification of the sport has indeed taken its toll on all us true believers that just want to enjoy ethical, non-GMO, unadulterated basketball.
My personal red line for when I would cut the NBA out of my life hinges on the outcome of the Aspiration scandal. From everything that's come out, it's near-certain Kawhi and Ballmer are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, so if the hammer isn't dropped with enough force, then the sport is dead to me because the commissioner/owners will have collectively decided their own rules don't matter anymore, and we're in WWE territory. I'm a little optimistic though, given how many owners & GMs have had to retool and sometimes weaken their rosters to just get under the second apron, I don't think they would stand for it.
My punishment wishlist is for Kawhi to be banned for the duration of his remaining contract, plus maybe another 25 game suspension give or take, have his contract remain on the books and count against the Clippers' cap sheet - with the Aspiration payments added on as additional cap penalty - and perhaps getting docked about 5 first round draft picks. I don't think this is too excessive - no punishment should be too harsh when it comes to threats to league integrity. But it's a wishlist, I'd accept just most of the above, even Kawhi being allowed to play if they lose at least 5 FRPs. Lowkey disgusted Scott Foster is still a ref but hey what can you do when there's probably blackmail involved?
But if the punishment is lighter even than the Minnesota Joe Smith situation (I think they were docked 5 FRPs and eventually reduced to 3) which was a comparatively milder attempt at breaking the rules, then I'm going to boycott the NBA and tell all my friends to do the same. Maybe I'd tune in for the playoffs by sailing the high seas and ensuring no dime is spent in the process since I'm currently paying for League Pass..
I heard Nate Duncan say that 3 FRPs is what he would consider the minimum acceptable punishment, too. I'm not super optimistic, but I worry there are plenty of people like you who would lose faith in the league if there isn't major exculpatory evidence or a severe punishment.
I can't see a world where it's five, but this is largely unprecedented territory (at least for this millennium), so we'll see! And I do feel terribly for Clippers fans, who had nothing to do with this and might see their team rendered importent for a half-decade or more.
But as you say, there are certain rules that simply can't be broken. This is one of them.
Bingo -- and this whole Aspiration scandal (and the Giannis/Kalshi thing) are just glaring examples to me of why Adam Silver is a weak commissioner. David Stern would've already banned Kawhi for life by now.
It's not only that we live in a society where more and more people can't distinguish from real and fake (AI, conspiracies, blatant lies), it's that a large segment of the population Does Not Care if it's fake (WWE, reality TV, celebrity endorsements). Giannis is "all in" alrighty. On himself. And always was.
You wondered why contenders didn't take significant swings for game changing players at the deadline. I guess I'd ask - how often do teams do this and how often does it actually work? My guess is that it's pretty rare for teams to make massive trade deadline acquisitions, and that usually those acquisition don't pan out that season. Might be worth doing some digging?
That is a very fair point! My lying memory makes it feel like there's usually SOMEONE making a move, but I should probably fact-check myself first. Let me get back to you on this in a bit
https://www.theringer.com/2025/12/09/nba/giannis-antetokounmpo-nba-trade-rumors-all-in-history
Howard Beck had a story on this earlier this year.
In some ways, the contenders not ponying up for stars who might be overpaid (AD - overpaid, JJJ - tbd), is the mirror of image of teams tanking for the stars who will be affordable and give them flexibility to build around. Even Giannis, who is considered “number three in the league with a bullet” in the words of Zach Lowe is going to need a 35% max on his extension and I don’t know how thrilled I would be as a team to pay that. I think in some ways this is a market correction from just paying your star whatever they are asking, even if the contract will be underwater in the out years (although I think De’Aaron Fox’s contract is proof that this still exists). It makes team building so hard because there is little flexibility with those massive contracts. That’s not to say that contenders couldn’t have made smaller moves around the margins, just that trading for some of the big stars that moved might have scared them off with their contracts or extensions.
Hello Mike!
I regret to say you are not being stupid at all; the gambling and WWE-ification of the sport has indeed taken its toll on all us true believers that just want to enjoy ethical, non-GMO, unadulterated basketball.
My personal red line for when I would cut the NBA out of my life hinges on the outcome of the Aspiration scandal. From everything that's come out, it's near-certain Kawhi and Ballmer are guilty beyond a reasonable doubt, so if the hammer isn't dropped with enough force, then the sport is dead to me because the commissioner/owners will have collectively decided their own rules don't matter anymore, and we're in WWE territory. I'm a little optimistic though, given how many owners & GMs have had to retool and sometimes weaken their rosters to just get under the second apron, I don't think they would stand for it.
My punishment wishlist is for Kawhi to be banned for the duration of his remaining contract, plus maybe another 25 game suspension give or take, have his contract remain on the books and count against the Clippers' cap sheet - with the Aspiration payments added on as additional cap penalty - and perhaps getting docked about 5 first round draft picks. I don't think this is too excessive - no punishment should be too harsh when it comes to threats to league integrity. But it's a wishlist, I'd accept just most of the above, even Kawhi being allowed to play if they lose at least 5 FRPs. Lowkey disgusted Scott Foster is still a ref but hey what can you do when there's probably blackmail involved?
But if the punishment is lighter even than the Minnesota Joe Smith situation (I think they were docked 5 FRPs and eventually reduced to 3) which was a comparatively milder attempt at breaking the rules, then I'm going to boycott the NBA and tell all my friends to do the same. Maybe I'd tune in for the playoffs by sailing the high seas and ensuring no dime is spent in the process since I'm currently paying for League Pass..
I heard Nate Duncan say that 3 FRPs is what he would consider the minimum acceptable punishment, too. I'm not super optimistic, but I worry there are plenty of people like you who would lose faith in the league if there isn't major exculpatory evidence or a severe punishment.
I can't see a world where it's five, but this is largely unprecedented territory (at least for this millennium), so we'll see! And I do feel terribly for Clippers fans, who had nothing to do with this and might see their team rendered importent for a half-decade or more.
But as you say, there are certain rules that simply can't be broken. This is one of them.
Bingo -- and this whole Aspiration scandal (and the Giannis/Kalshi thing) are just glaring examples to me of why Adam Silver is a weak commissioner. David Stern would've already banned Kawhi for life by now.