Comments on: BREAKING NEWS (like, for serious): Omigod, you guys…Lin and Novak Were Granted Their Bird Rights! Woo!!

By: yellowboy90

yellowboy90 — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 23:19:20 +0000

Micheal Beasley for sixth man?

By: ephus

ephus — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:58:46 +0000

bobneptune: Imagine all those stupid NBA executives that are too blind to see the obvious value in balkman!

No one was going to take Balkman without a sweetener. Since cash and a first round pick were not available, it would have either a second round pick or the rights to an overseas player. With regard to the Appeal Panel, if I read the CBA correctly, it will be three neutrals, not one selected by each side and then a neutral. From the interview with the NBPA general counsel linked above, it sounds like the union advanced evidence that between 1995 and 2005, players did not lose their Bird rights if they were claimed off of waivers. If that is the basis for the ruling (which I would love to see), then it would be the sort of factual finding to which the Appeal Panel would defer, unless there was clear error. JohnLocke -- you had hope when I saw only a glimmer. I am glad you were right and I was wrong.

By: bobneptune

bobneptune — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:39:39 +0000

ephus: With all of the things Grunwald did well last year, it is a shame that he could not find anyone willing to take Balkman.That extra $1.6 million in salary cap means a lot this year.

Imagine all those stupid NBA executives that are too blind to see the obvious value in balkman!

By: New Guy

New Guy — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:25:42 +0000

Can’t tell if you’re kidding or not, but almost certainly not. All we would gain in addition to being able to resign Lin & Novak is the mini-MLE (I.e. 3 yrs, 9 mil).

By: johnlocke

johnlocke — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:18:18 +0000

If it stands, can we get both Jason Kidd and Ray Allen?

By: ruruland

ruruland — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:16:46 +0000

johnlocke: I’d also just like to take a small bow for being the first to bring up the “spirit of the law” point in a discussion with ephus, ruru and others: On the argument made by the NBPA: “We were arguing the spirit of the rule as much as we were arguing the language, which is that players who move teams, not by choice, should not have to start over with their Bird rights. They shouldn’t forfeit their valuable Bird rights, and that was a spirit that we thought was since the inception of the rule in 1995 and it should still exist today.”

You're the man. Hope it stands.

By: johnlocke

johnlocke — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:10:28 +0000

I’d also just like to take a small bow for being the first to bring up the “spirit of the law” point in a discussion with ephus, ruru and others:

On the argument made by the NBPA:
“We were arguing the spirit of the rule as much as we were arguing the language, which is that players who move teams, not by choice, should not have to start over with their Bird rights. They shouldn’t forfeit their valuable Bird rights, and that was a spirit that we thought was since the inception of the rule in 1995 and it should still exist today.”

By: ceh

ceh — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:10:20 +0000

When will a copy of the decision be released? Hope it’s fact-based so it’s harder to overturn.

By: EB

EB — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:09:17 +0000

I thought JR was almost certain to walk from his contract so wouldn’t that give us the full MLE? I’m for taking a risk on Odom and grabbing Allen or Kidd to play the two.

By: ruruland

ruruland — Fri, 22 Jun 2012 22:08:02 +0000

Robert Silverman: One would think there’d be a greater burden of proof required to overturn the 1st arbiter’s decision.

Got a link, ruru? I’ll add it to the article

See last question: http://espn.go.com/blog/new-york/knicks/post/_/id/21123/insights-into-the-lin-decision

Q: How long will the eligibility of Bird and early Bird rights last for future players claimed off waivers?
Klempner: It’s indefinite. There could be something different moving forward, and we’ll know that soon. But right now, it’s indefinite. The appeal would go to an appeals panel of three arbitrators, who the the two parties [the union and league] would have to select.