Robert Sarver emerged from the NBA lockout mess as a guy with a problem. Not only has his hard line stance angered Phoenix Suns fans, it threatens to hurt the team when it comes time to sign free agents.
↵I wrote about this a few weeks ago and now an unnamed NBA agent told Hoops World the same thing:
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Players and agents are just as frustrated, and one agent tells HOOPSWORLD that they’ll remember their actions long after the lockout comes to an end."I don’t want any of my clients playing for Michael Jordan, Paul Allen, Robert Sarver, Dan Gilbert or Peter Holt," said one agent. "We won’t sign with them, unless they’re willing to really overpay. That’s going to be the only way these hardline owners are going to land any free agents after the way they’ve handled these negotiations."
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It's possible that Sarver has actually softened a bit over the last few weeks. There's conflicting reports about his current stance with the hard liners who don't want the players to take the 50/50 deal that's on the table until Wednesday afternoon.
↵Other owners, specifically Michael Jordan, seem to have taken Sarver's place in the pantheon of greed and have garnered more attention recently.
↵It will be interesting to see how it plays out and we look forward to hearing from Sarver himself once the lockout is over and the gag order from David Stern is lifted.
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