I'm hearing that the Sterling family would would prefer to sell after Donald dies, otherwise they'll owe an extra $200 mil in cap gains tax. So tie it up in the courts for a couple years and let the old man bite it, then sell
I'm sure I'll get smashed for this, but just bear with the thought for a second:
If I recall correctly, won't Ballmer have to put a down payment on this team while it's held up in legal hell for the foreseeable future?
Further, I'm fairly certain that the estranged wife of Sterling doesn't have the capability to enter into a legally binding agreement to sell the team on her own - a least without that being subject to a future lawsuit as well from her husband.
Her husband has also said that he has offers for the club in excess of $2.5B. And, if that is the case, would go even further to help out the potential lawsuit against the Ballmer purchase.
The NBA is going to be in a legal mess over this for a number of reasons. First, just getting Sterling out of the league and be forced to sell is going to be a pain. Add to that then the fact that given the Sterling's own internal issues, you're going to have another set of legal hurdles. Ballmer is going to be sitting there on the outside waiting for this mess to pass. And, if there is another buyer sitting with Donald Sterling in excess of the $2.0B that Ballmer is rumored to be offering, hard to not see the courts sitting there and saying that that's the offer that must be taken.
At that point, I'd expect Ballmer to enter into a lawsuit against Sterling and the NBA. And I'd also have to think that the NBA has been working with the estranged wife of Sterling to get this transaction done ASAP and to get Steve Ballmer at the forefront of it given that they want to get him in the league.
Ballmer's end game interest is getting a team. Is it possible that the backend play of this is that he either gets the the Clippers or he's able to enter into a lawsuit where his price for settling the lawsuit is the granting of an expansion franchise to him and Seattle?
Wasn't Chris Hansen supposed to sue the crap out of the NBA after the Kings deal? That never happened, there won't be any huge lawsuit here either.
I'm hearing that the Sterling family would would prefer to sell after Donald dies, otherwise they'll owe an extra $200 mil in cap gains tax. So tie it up in the courts for a couple years and let the old man bite it, then sell
You are so fucking right. Giant elephant in the room.
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