Eddie Sefko: Asked Mark Cuban if he thought anybody would kick the tires on DeMarcus Cousins and he said Mavs would have been interested “but we don’t have a roster spot and we don’t have anybody we want to let go.”
Owners Rumors
Chris Fedor: #Cavs owner Dan Gilbert, still recovering from a stroke, is currently speaking on stage about his Crain’s Detroit Business Newsmaker of the Year HOF honor. He’s been cracking jokes: “We’re not going to raise a Cavs championship banner this year, so I’m excited about this.”
Chris Fedor: Gilbert, whose mind is still sharp and personality remains, has also mentioned Andre Drummond multiple times during his speech, which is mostly about Detroit, the city’s rise, leadership, relationships & culture. He’s been talking for about 25 minutes already and is still going.
Rod Boone: #Hornets GM Mitch Kupchak on Michael Jordan: “He wants to win, Ok? And if we can do something to get into the playoffs (in the future) and advance in the playoffs, payroll will not be an issue. Even the tax won’t be an issue for him.”
Mark Cuban: Baseball is a mess right now and they have zero vision to see them out of it. I’m thankful they didn’t let me buy a team.
Nets owner Joe Tsai spoke with Bloomberg Businessweek, and essentially said that he and Levy, the former president of Turner Broadcasting, had different expectations for the job. Tsai, who closed his record purchase of the Nets in September, also made Levy the president of J Tsai Sports. Through the holding company for his sports portfolio, Tsai owns not only the Nets, but the WNBA’s New York Liberty, a lacrosse team in San Diego, and stakes in MLS side LAFC and in the Premier Lacrosse League. “He was already looking ahead at how to grow the J Tsai sports portfolio, but we also needed someone to do the nuts and bolts,” Tsai told Bloomberg Businessweek. “Maybe he thought that he wanted to do something that’s bigger and he could just bring in other people to do it, and I’m of a view that before you outsource something you should do it yourself.”
Tsai wooed Levy, a 33-year veteran of Turner Sports, with a heavy portfolio. He was named CEO of the Nets, Barclays and J Tsai Sports, Tsai’s holding company that also controls the New York Liberty and his other sports investments in lacrosse, soccer and esports. Levy was also named an “alternate governor” of the Nets and a “venture partner” in Tsai’s family investment vehicle. Still, one team insider told NetsDaily that Levy was surprised to be managing something as small as the Nets after running Turner Media. And in fact, Levy told Bloomberg last month, “It wasn’t the job I signed up for and we agreed to part ways.” Both Tsai and Levy told Boudway they remain friends.
