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Now that Torre’s story is officially confirmed, the NBA has to enforce punishment on the Clippers. The Clippers are in their 2nd year at their new $2 billion stadium in Inglewood and will host the next NBA All-Star Game in February. Many have suggested the Clippers should lose the right to host this year’s All-Star Game, but Silver has denied this course of action, according to USA Today. Silver said, “There’s no contemplation of moving the All-Star game.” While the NBA investigation is still ongoing, there has to be some sort of punishment for circumventing the league’s salary cap. If Silver does not want to move the All-Star game, there has to be a more severe punishment for this brazen act of rule-breaking. Could the Clippers lose draft picks? Should they receive a postseason ban? It is reasonable that both options are on the table, and even more extreme options are on the table. Silver could force Steve Ballmer to sell the team like he did with former Clippers owner Donald Sterling, or could even void Kawhi’s extension altogether and make him a free agent. The harshest possible punishment would be to force the Clippers to relocate to Seattle or Las Vegas. There have been rampant talks of expansion, and the Clippers have a very weak fanbase, so they are certainly one of the top options to move elsewhere. However, despite having one of the weakest fan bases in all of sports, the Clippers are unlikely to be going anywhere due to the new $2 billion stadium the team built in Inglewood. Forcing Steve Ballmer to step down as owner and the Clippers losing draft capital ultimately feels like the most appropriate punishment for the situation. What do you think? What should be the Clippers’ punishment for circumventing the salary cap? Should they be punished at all? What would you do if you were Adam Silver? Comment below, or head over to our Message Board!
