Source: nytimes.com/.../adam-silver-clippers-ste... But what is their argument? Wachtell Lipton didn’t issue the sanctions; Silver did. And Silver, according to the NBA’s constitution and bylaws, has significant latitude to impose discipline. Article 24 of the league’s constitution, “Authority and Duties of the Commissioner,” includes this: “The Commissioner shall have the power to suspend a Player, Coach, Member, Owner, or other person subject to the Commissioner’s jurisdiction for a definite or indefinite period and to impose such fines and other penalties as are authorized by Article 35, 35A or any other Article or Section relating thereto of this Constitution and By-Laws. The Commissioner shall have the power to declare null and void any Player transaction made by and between Members of the Association or by and between Members of the Association and any organization outside of the Association.” And does Ballmer really want his organization to go to discovery in a courtroom? Owners don’t like depositions. Wachtell Lipton’s report detailed numerous contacts between the team and the companies that had not previously come to light, in advance of subsequent emails that the team claims provided the initial contacts between Leonard and the companies. Frank, according to the report, “openly discussed with investigators his conduct from the relevant time period, recalled details of key events, took responsibility for the actions of subordinates, and was generally consistent across his interviews,” as well as providing contemporaneous notes of meetings. Over the last few years, multiple NBA teams have been gobbled up by incredi...

[nbcnews.com/.../nba-punishes-clippers-le...](nbcnews.com/.../nba-punishes-clippers-le...) --- > While the Wachtell Lipton report and the NBA’s penalties answered some questions, they also sparked new questions. > Given that the team is not predicted to be a contender for the NBA title this coming season, some team sources wondered whether the Clippers might begin a fire sale and trade away all but its best, young players, to replenish its future draft assets as much as possible — a move to “tank” their record that Ballmer previously never found palatable. There was also the question of whether the league might try to seize the two first-round picks the Clippers are reportedly due to receive from the Raptors in exchange for Leonard — picks that would be extremely helpful in offsetting the five it will forfeit. > Wachtell Lipton, in its report, noted that its investigation remains ongoing.