Good news first: the Lakers apparently are willing to pay the luxury tax next season after all, as they sign not only Derek Fisher, but also the rehabbed Chris Mihm. Without such a willingness, further trades for KG, Jermaine O'Neal, or other high-priced help are a fantasy.
Speaking of which, it seems safe to officially drop Phoenix from the KG sweepstakes now - as reports that owner Robert Sarver mandated dropping $7 mil off payroll to avoid the luxury tax came true today, as they dealt the contract of Kurt Thomas to Seattle, plus 2 future first round picks, for a second-rounder next summer. The incentive for Seattle is obvious, given they're rebuilding; but Phoenix continues to deal away potential bench pieces and draft picks in an attempt to keep their top 6 together without paying the luxury tax. A KG trade is now essentially impossible under the salary cap, and certainly impossible if Sarver isn't willing to pay the tax. More and more I think there are only 3 possible destinations for KG this summer - Lakers, Dallas, and Miami. Most likely is that KG is still a T-wolf to open the season.
Finally, the conspiracy theorists have a field day today, with news that the FBI is going to charge NBA ref Tim Donaghy with point-shaving. Rumor (and let's be clear, only rumor at this stage) has it that he has a gambling problem, got in hock to the Mob, and shaved points in games he reffed to pay off his debts. What's a fact is that he was one of the refs at the infamous Brawl Game, and was a major figure in Rasheed Wallace's longest suspension. I haven't yet heard whether he was involved in any other of the most notorious playoff series in which ref bias is commonly alleged, like the Dallas-Miami 2006 Finals, or the Lakers-Sacramento 2002 Western Conference Finals, now best remembered for Robert Horry's winning 3-pointer at the buzzer in game 4.
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