I was responding to a particular person with a particular point. He said superstars will be more willing to come here if we tank. That is different from drafting a superstar. I'm not so stupid as to believe that only major market teams draft superstars with high lottery picks.
I don't think anyone here knows what those rules are exactly. I've heard Morey on record say that teams are sometimes told to include picks or other assets to satisfy the league for a deal to get passed. So the league has made decisions like this before.
If they are told to adjust the trade, it is because the trade failed to pass the salary-matching rules that are very well spelled out in the CBA. The NBA has NEVER blocked a trade that worked under salary-matching rules until this trade. That is why everyone is so appalled that they blocked it; because it is unprecedented. dude, the salary-matching rules are so clearly spelled out that ESPN has a trade machine calculator. Now, the calculator is not a witty as you can be with trades. You can do some fancy stuff, beyond the ability of the calculator to apply the rules.
