Joe Lacob is the biggest tease. So far this off-season, he has made major front office moves and shocking draft transactions. After telling the world he had an "exciting" and "significant" announcement to make tomorrow, Warrior beat writers are suggesting that it is NOT what fans were expecting. And for that, he has just given Warrior fans the most annoying case of professional sports blue balls if such a thing actually existed.
Joe Lacob is no stranger to business. Simply put, to quote loosely from Jay-Z, Lacob is not just "a businessman," he's a "business, man!" He's knows a little something about investments and local writers such as Tim Kawakami and Marcus Thompson II are reporting that Lacob's "exciting" announcement is, allegedly, that the Warriors have purchased the NBA Developmental League team, the Dakota Wizards.
Groan.
After rumors and cryptic messages from Lacob and new consultant Jerry West surfaced weeks ago about a possible Monta Ellis and/or Andris Biedrins trade for just about anyone in the NBA, this news of the Wizards could be quite a let down for fans, myself included, expecting one of said players to be moved for a better part in the new Warriors cog. I figured West would put on a Jedi mind trick and somehow convince some other GM to do him a favor and trade some young upstart for Ellis.
But Thompson suggests that owning the Dakota Wizards could be a move to bring a D-league team to San Jose. San Jose has been on the NBA radar for relocating or new teams (see Sacramento Kings or WNBA). It already has a slew of professional sports teams in the San Jose Sharks, San Jose Earthquakes Soccer Team, and the Arena football team San Jose Sabercats. The Warriors current D-league affiliate is the Reno Bighorns, but relocating a team the Dakota Wizards to San Jose sounds more like a business venture of drumming up some more revenue and excitement for the Warriors knowing that any day one of these guys could be sitting on the bench for big brother just 40 minutes to the north.
So while we didn't get the trade we wanted (yet), at least we know Lacob is, possibly, thinking a few steps ahead of us. The blue balls still hurt tho.