Millers sell the Jazz

[Handlogten's Heros]

So let's all hope he stays in background and hires a great bball mind to do his thinking. Just the thought of the Jazz owner trying to be like Cuban and be hands on scares me.

This is a legit fear... moving the team is not.

 

[nateboz]

Smart move for the Millers. The NBA has peaked as far as its value and it will continue to drop. Look at the ratings and the lack of fans for the next year plus for in person fans at the arenas.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

That be a waste of money since most 2nd rounders don't make it. Also who cares that it makes the fans see he cares. Is the goal of this franchise to win a chip or just satisfied the fans by making a types of senseless trades?

I mean we sold a pick that could have become Nikola Jokic.

I was kind of kidding... but it is a fairly routine practice. It also follows the Silicon Valley startup model... Yes most fail but the winners are such huge wins the investment is worth it.

 

[LoPo]

You guys act like we are a franchise that has won a bunch of titles. If anything, we're a franchise who has never been aggressive enough to take that next step. We didn't maximize the Stockton/Malone years. We didn't support the Deron/Booz years adequately enough.

We shouldn't question this guy one bit because the way we've always done it is respectable, but not the only way. As a Jazz fan, I'm indebted to the Millers forever. Their legacy has been incredible. However, I'm not going to knock this new guy at all. He's not coming in mid-dynasty offering to shake things up.

 

[prodigy]

Smart move for the Millers. The NBA has peaked as far as its value and it will continue to drop. Look at the ratings and the lack of fans for the next year plus for in person fans at the arenas.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

Interesting point. I still think basketball has worldwide staying power, but people could be opting for different experiences as technology continues to expand. A tech man hurt by technology. Ironic.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

You guys act like we are a franchise that has won a bunch of titles. If anything, we're a franchise who has never been aggressive enough to take that next step. We didn't maximize the Stockton/Malone years. We didn't support the Deron/Booz years adequately enough.

We shouldn't question this guy one bit because the way we've always done it is respectable, but not the only way. As a Jazz fan, I'm indebted to the Millers forever. Their legacy has been incredible. However, I'm not going to knock this new guy at all. He's not coming in mid-dynasty offering to shake things up.

I'm very hopeful... just the fact that we'd likely have to pay luxury tax at some point to be competitive and I don't think an owner who is operating the franchise as just a business would pay the tax.

Things can also go very wrong with meddling owners like Vivek... went from bad to worse with no signs of improvement. I think we have stronger leadership and culture here so we should be okay.

Long term I think this is a good thing and I'm happy about this.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Interesting point. I still think basketball has worldwide staying power, but people could be opting for different experiences as technology continues to expand. A tech man hurt by technology. Ironic.

There are still some untapped opportunities for growth... cough gambling cough.

 

[outerspacefan]

I fear that even this is optimistic, but I agree with most of what you say. The last sentence I don't like although Larry was never my favorite person after selling the Golden Eagles.

Golden Eagles, lol, that was like another century!
I guess I'm in a good mood today, but of course even a bit of moderate optimism might be proven crazy when all is said and done. After all what the hell do I know?
You know... here expecting a good outcome, it's free and it doesn't piss my day

 

[candrew]

Sad day for Jazz Nation. The Millers, And Gail specifically was great owners. The new guy seems like a fan from here so he probably will be hands on and firing people left and right and making a types of trades and turn this glorified franchise into a basement dweller with no stability.
So let's all hope he stays in background and hires a great bball mind to do his thinking. Just the thought of the Jazz owner trying to be like Cuban and be hands on scares me.

Point taken - but last time I checked Cuban has a ring.

 

[colton]

I'm pretty surprised by this. I have no idea what this means for the team.

Is this guy Mormon as well? Or can we finally get some Sunday home games?!

Yes, he's Mormon, and quite active last I heard.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Yes, he's Mormon, and quite active last I heard.

Check out his twitter... he has quotes from prophets and apostles... safe to say he's active.

 

[colton]

As far as a new owner goes... this guy is probably about as good as you could possibly hope for. Well funded... has an emotional tie to the franchise... hometown guy. He currently lives here right?

Yes, pretty sure he's in the Provo/Orem area.

 

[nateboz]

Interesting point. I still think basketball has worldwide staying power, but people could be opting for different experiences as technology continues to expand. A tech man hurt by technology. Ironic.

Yeah, if I had billions and I could buy my favorite team I would too. Hopefully he's willing to spend money, cause he's going to have to.

Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk

 

[NUMBERICA]

I'm just not sure what you'd like them to do.

Choose to help so much that they are no longer billionaires or tax them below the billion dollar wealth threshold.

Certainly, selling picks is not something any serious NBA owner (all of whom are billionaires) should even consider. Hopefully we stop that inane practice.

 

[colton]

 

[infection]

The totally optimistic view:

1. He is fan and has a passion for the team - he's our very own Mark Cuban.
2. He made his fortune through analytics. Maybe he brings some dynamics to the team, and brings in some ideas nobody has thought of before.
3. Gail Miller wasn't going to live forever, and when Greg was in charge - he was the one who made the Jazz "Deron's team" and basically orchestrated the Sloan retirement fiasco. That DRIVE that Larry H. Miller had was not something he passed onto his kids. Finding the next LHM entrepreneur type owner is the best you could hope for.
4. Him, his wife and his brother are all from Utah. They have billions of dollars and still live here - that bodes very well for the team sticking in town for another 35 years.
5. The Jazz sold the team to someone with more money - maybe now we can go into the luxury tax and do what has to be done to win a championship.

I'm not buying the fact he'll sell the team just to make some more money. The guy could live anywhere in the world, but he chooses to live n Utah. He must like it there. Why would he throw away all the goodwill of living in a place he likes to make more money that he doesn't need?

I mean, if you say this:

"I grew up watching the Jazz. This is the team I cheered for. I played Junior Jazz. I dreamed of playing for the Jazz, and that didn't work out. But as I was sitting there this week in the Junior Jazz program you guys started, with hundreds of kids running around, the legacy you've created is untouchable. We're all incredibly grateful for that. The Jazz are a gift to this whole community, and that's how we view it. That's 100 percent how we view this."

And then sell the team, that's some pro wrestling level heel stuff there.

I think these two posts encapsulate this pretty well. I don't think there's much fear that this guy is going to sell the team to make a buck. What would be concerning, however, is if he were to have to sell the team out of necessity. As I said, he's a new billionaire, and if there were a point where he were overleveraged, holding that kind of debt can be a huge issue. But if the option is between a new billionaire Jazz fan and a stable billionaire who's some random dude who isn't really a fan and isn't committed to the franchise for the same reasons we are, then I'm taking the former all day. In fact, up until today I'd say that the latter would be the only realistic (unfortunate) possibility for us. Name another billionaire that could buy the team that you know actually goes to games and is a fan. There are none. I'll take it.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

Choose to help so much that they are no longer billionaires or tax them below the billion dollar wealth threshold.

Certainly, selling picks is not something any serious NBA owner (all of whom are billionaires) should even consider. Hopefully we stop that inane practice.

That's fair... they'd find work arounds on the tax thing but I am comfortable taxing the mega wealthy in some way as long as it is redistributed fairly and responsibly.

The selling picks things was a big pet peeve of mine for a few years... the excuses of there weren't guys left we liked or we didn't want to bring in any more young guys... were so damn dumb. Especially when you consider we were also talking about how awesome our development program was.

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

I think these two posts encapsulate this pretty well. I don't think there's much fear that this guy is going to sell the team to make a buck. What would be concerning, however, is if he were to have to sell the team out of necessity. As I said, he's a new billionaire, and if there were a point where he were overleveraged, holding that kind of debt can be a huge issue. But if the option is between a new billionaire Jazz fan and a stable billionaire who's some random dude who isn't really a fan and isn't committed to the franchise for the same reasons we are, then I'm taking the former all day. In fact, up until today I'd say that the latter would be the only realistic (unfortunate) possibility for us. Name another billionaire that could buy the team that you know actually goes to games and is a fan. There are none. I'll take it.

Maybe Post Malone could get there someday?

 

[Handlogten's Heros]

That's a good amount. Maybe the Miller's businesses recover and we will have two wealthy owners to invest in the team.

 

[Miggs]

We move to Seattle yet?