É«É«À²

Hi, Doug. I tried to find the email I sent you during that brief period between the Raptors championship and Kawhi Leonard signing with the Clippers but I couldn’t find it.

I remember suggesting that perhaps MLSE could find a way to guarantee Leonard a certain amount of extra endorsement deals to sweeten the pot over and above a max contract to convince him to stay in É«É«À².

You told me it was unethical and there would be heavy punishments for teams trying to pull such a move.

After the great Pablo Torre exposé highlighting Steve Ballmer finding a “no-show” work contract for Leonard to sign with L.A., I guess we’ll find out. Any predictions?

Cheers.

—B¾±±ô±ô

I was eating some vacation days and didn’t weigh in on the Leonard news, but a couple of important points came to mind.

This story deals with his 2021 contract to stay with the Clippers, not the 2019 contract to leave É«É«À², so the direct correlation is not there. That said, there were many whispers, reported at the time, about shenanigans. The league looked at it and couldn’t find actionable evidence, but there was a stench.

And yes, if any of this is true — and it’s a long way from what you think you know to what you can prove — it’s blatant cap contravention and will be dealt with harshly. The Minnesota Timberwolves once lost the player and five first-round picks plus a yearlong suspension of the then-owner and a substantial fine for an illegal deal with Joe Smith. The league does not take kindly to deals like that.

But again I must caution: It’s a long drive from thinking you know what happened and being able to conclusively prove it. We’ll see where these investigation goes.

Good to see Freddie VanVleet at the U.S. Open tennis on Wednesday night.

Is there any talk on who the É«É«À² Tempo’s play-by-play/analysts might be on TV or radio? Also, should we assume the TV broadcast rights will be with the usual suspects, TSN/Sportsnet, or does Larry Tanenbaum’s group have connections with someone else?

—Paul M.

We haven’t heard a thing, even whispered privately, about broadcast deals or outlets. I suppose that’s got lots to do with the schedule not out yet and the rather crowded broadcast schedule next summer that includes blanket World Cup coverage that will dominate one network.

And I don’t know if there’s going to be any new wrinkles, but we’re seeing some sports head toward streaming games and events. That might be a part of what the future looks like.

Saw Kawhi was at the tennis, too. Presume he was comped his ticket.

Hi, Doug. FIBA action continues while the Blue Jays try to bash their way to (and through?) the MLB post-season. Canadian tennis continues to make its presence known, so not exactly all quiet on the sports front.

Some questions:

1) I assume there’ll be a bunch of Kawhi questions. At first glance the situation seems shady. As I understand it, the salary cap is designed to keep the playing field even so the wealthiest franchises can’t outright buy an all-star roster. There also seems to be confusion as to who exactly was seeking what. However, I have no idea if this is a rare occurrence in the sports world. Is this much ado about nothing?

2) Keeping with the topic, I’ve read that franchise owners’ wealth doesn’t come from owning a team; the team is essentially an expensive hobby and their main income comes from other ventures. A fine of a few million to them is like a parking ticket for you and me. If so, do fines really bother owners? Draft picks, however, impact the course of a team. Is team ownership comprised of groups or individuals primarily? Any idea?

3) Jordan Loyd seems to make the case that playing overseas is better than playing in the G League. He apparently went from making $77,000 (U.S.) with the championship Raptors to currently making over a million a year in Europe. And being the fourth-leading scorer at FIBA will turn some NBA heads. Thoughts?

4) Hypothetical scenarios. If Jayson Tatum recovers ahead of schedule, he returns to a gutted lineup, but if Tyrese Haliburton returns early (first round of playoffs, let’s say) he comes back missing only Myles Turner. Has Boston’s championship window slammed shut, but the Pacers might get another shot a year or so from now?

Thanks for keeping the lights on, even without a $7-million promotional income!

—Bernie M.

Yeah, there are several layers to the Leonard cap-contravention issue. I think some owners need to be protected from themselves. I think some owners don’t want to spend and are glad the league stops them, and I think some players — and their agents — always want to get more than they’re allowed. I also think shady deals are done more often than anyone knows and there probably isn’t any one answer to the issue. If — and it’s a big if — this Clippers story is 100 per cent true, I can see it being a case of ownership wanting to outspend rivals and players — and their advisers — trying to game the system.

Most NBA ownership is one primary owner with some partners, necessary because of the sheer financial load. And no, I don’t think fines are a major issue.

I’ve always thought Europe — at the very top of the very best leagues — is more lucrative, but it’s also a life experience that some North Americans aren’t interested in. Their loss. And teams sure do scout the EuroLeague for talent, but it’s also a very different game that often doesn’t translate to an NBA style. Doesn’t mean one’s better than the other; one might be more suited to a player’s skills.

And all things being considered in your scenario, Indiana is far better positioned. But the Celtics’ new owners are also saving hundreds of millions in tax, so that may be the equalizer.

Hi, Doug. Have you been paying attention to the women’s rugby World Cup? The Canadian women are fun, if a little sloppy in the last game. Listening to the commentators talk about tight ends and loose ends illustrates some interesting language shifts between rugby and football.

Also, in Argo land it looks like this is the year that the free-agent drain is catching up to them. Some of the recent success is them realizing that they cannot lean on the defence and adjusting the risk/reward play calling calculus.

—Jim R.

I’ve seen snippets of the World Cup, but honestly, pool games in such events don’t hold much intrigue to me. Every sport, I believe, has watered down its world championships so much by bloating fields that there are seldom any good, competitive early games. I’ll probably catch up more closely with Canada whenever the knockout rounds begin.

I’ve seen a fair amount of the Argos this year and have seen them be unable to stop anyone, and an offence that looks outstanding at times. But I’ve seen enough CFL seasons to know nothing really starts until now and I wouldn’t count them out if they get into the playoffs.

Hi, Doug. Been watching the AmeriCup games whereby Canada looked like a gold-medal team until last night’s semifinal game versus Argentina. I’m looking for your thoughts on last night’s disappointing loss to Argentina and what could have been done differently. Particularly with respect to:

1) Perimeter and on-ball defending had become a bit of trademark of Canada basketball at the Olympics and last World Cup, but was it where it should have been at this tournament? Did we have the players to defend the three-point line and harass the ballhandlers like we did at the World Cup?

2) Kyshawn George, who could have been tournament MVP, was outstanding but should there have been more NBA players committing to the team?

I am thinking of those players from NBA teams who didn’t make the playoffs or who had early playoff exits.

Regards.

—Tony Q. in North York

I would suggest the answer to your first question lies in the talents and skills on the roster. You play to your strengths.

I know Canada Basketball tried to augment the roster with young NBAers who might fancy themselves as World Cup or Olympic possibilities but didn’t get any takers. And that’s too bad because even a half-dozen FIBA games are important. I don’t think young players realize how different the game is, how passionate the opponents are, and anyone who thinks you can just show up and succeed at a World Cup or Olympics is delusional.