[Houston Chronicle] Les Alexander wants all Clippers made Free Agents

Yeah...call me crazy but I think you go Blake Griffin. The reasons are simple:

1) BG is younger
2) BG has less health issues
3) You can get decent pgs at a fraction of the cost (Bev, Li...Canaan etc)

CP3 is still good but like Dwight he is also on the cusp of going 30, we don't know if his body is gonna hold up the next 5 years considering he has been missing games here and there with various injuries. Griffin isn't just good at the post, he has a working mid-range and 3 pt shot and even his defense is getting better little by little. IMHO you take BG and never look back, sure CP3 is better in the short term but Griffin will make you contenders now and for the next 10 years, as he and Harden will still be top NBA players when Dwight is already on the decline.

 

What's to stop them from filing a harsh work place or discrimination suit? Well, how about the fact that there was no harsh work place created or discrimination.

Something said on a private call to a girlfriend that was illegally recorded does not constitute discrimination. Has Sterling somehow refused to pay black players? Has he given white coaches special treatment?

Being a racist does not automatically equal workforce discrimination.

 

So Jordan and Les are the only two owners on record that he should not own the team any longer?

 

They can all go play for the lakers next season. I think lakers only have 3 players under contract next year. Same city, same arena.

 

I'll be content if we can get doc rivers!

 

Exactly plus I simply don't see a way to legally force Sterling out. Say the other owners get together and tell him he's got to go and Sterling's response is GFY. What does the league do then? Their own bylaws limit the removal of a franchise to issues of financial mismanagement. Well, the Clips aren't being mismanaged financially so what then? What if Sterling decides to fight and hires lawyers? Now the issue is dragging along in the courts which will do wonders for the NBA.

In the long run, that franchise will suffer as the players under contract exit and no other good ones come in to replace them but aside from that, the only options the NBA has is to appease the public outcry somehow else this situation spirals out of control and contaminates the entire league. In fact, in has already started - just watched Mark Cuban get heavily questioned about this before tonight's game and he was clearly perturbed at the tone of the questioning about the league being unable to remove a racist owner and how that reflects on all of the owners.

 

You could be very right, but from a league perspective he is hurting the value of the product and I don't think Les would make that suggestion without thinking of the the legal consequences (from both sides) and the public view of the league. I'm just saying this is going to be interesting to watch play out.

 

There are protocols in place to discipline an owner. If the league just tries to muscle up and do whatever they want, Sterling will be able to sue them and he'll win (and he should.)

Without opening the CBA, the league declaring all of the Clippers free agents without Sterling's consent would be a direct violation of the CBA. Not only would it violate the CBA, but the financial damages Sterling would deb able to claim would be unprecedented in the history of sports.

I suspect he will be suspended from the game indefinitely and fined the maximum amount under the CBA. He will never be at a Clippers game again or be allowed to be involved in the running of the organization, but he will still be the owner unless he decides to sell.

 

So you think Les is just blowing smoke and legally it can't be done.

 

I think Les is serious that it's what he would like to see done but legally it can't be done.

 

That would be Daryl Morey sir

 

Paul / Beverly
Harden / Daniels
Parsons / Redick
Griffin / Swirl
Howard / Jordan

DYNASTY.

 

Les throwing down the gauntlet. I like it.

He really is one of the better owners in sports.

 

I love that Les is thinking outside the box. Open the Pandora box for discussion owners!

Keep Sterling away from game until the owners meeting, and then see what happens.

 

The commissioner has the right to void any contract on basketball grounds, his all in clause, usually just doing so would meet with strong opposition from all the owners, however in this case it could very well be 29-1. Also, owner to nba relations aren't the cba, the players could certainly oppose such a move, but somehow i don't see the players union doing that.

 

I don't think it will work. Player in Los Angeles is still coveted and players will be willing to put up with a racist owner. Possibly he could go in a different direction. The game of basketball isn't a "black league" anymore and with the right guidance there are a lot of guys in the world that could succeed in the nba. I don't know if Sterling's good enough to do it.

 

Made the organization look weak and opportunistic over a bad situation.

Way to go.

 

Les Alexander seems like a genuine honest guy.

 

I agree. Them slaves can't be bought

 

Adam Silver says he would consider it.