The Toronto Raptors ‘ request to have the New York Knicks ‘ trade secret complaint arbitrated was granted by a federal prosecutor on Friday. The decision means that the NBA will oversee the secret dispute resolution process instead of the public platform of litigation.
The 29-page decision by U.S. District Judge Jessica Clarke focused instead on whether the debate should even be heard in court. It was not on the merits of the Knicks ‘ claims. Clarke and the Raptors both agreed that Adam Silver, the director of NBA, may decide the resolution of the dispute. Gold will almost certainly come to an agreement that the dispute falls under his jurisdiction as commissioner.
The Knicks sued the Raptors and their representatives over reported “mole” and former Knicks analysis staffer Ikechukwu Azotam in August. The Warriors accuse Azotam of emailing Raptors officials scouting reviews and other sensitive information while he was working for the Knicks before beginning a new career with Toronto.

A MSG Sports spokesman informed Sportico that it disagrees with the decision.
We are still evaluating our legal options and are the victims of a robbery of custom and personal files in a clear infraction of criminal and civil law, according to the spokesperson in a statement. We do n’t believe it appropriate for the NBA Commissioner to make a decision regarding a matter involving his or her boss, the NBA Chairman, and his team.
In explaining her choice, Clarke repeatedly highlighted the unambiguous language of the NBA’s law, a deal that governs all NBA team. The law states the inspector has “exclusive, whole, complete and ultimate control of any debate” involving two or more teams and renders his choice “final, bound and conclusive”.
Among other claims, the Knicks insisted the amendment’s arbitration provision is illegal on account of it being so widely worded. The Knicks noted that the provision, as it was written, may use to disputes that are related to hockey, such as if a staff member physically attacked a staff member of another team.
Clarke was persuaded because the Knicks vs. Raptors debate is about baseball, and it involves alleged cheating and unfair play being undermined. She wrote the issue at stake “has a simple connection to the NBA law” and the alleged robbery of “scouting reports, play speed data, criticism research, opposing play tendencies, lists and diagrams of opponents ‘ key plays and the Knicks ‘ prep book” naturally falls within the arbitration provision. The prosecutor added that Silver is responsible for maintaining public trust in the game and that tampering is unquestionably prohibited by the law.
” The Knicks ‘ idea that a fair crew would not see the current debate as connected in some way to the NBA Constitution”, Clarke plainly wrote, “is an airball”.
Clarke also did n’t find Azotam’s employment contract to change the legal reasoning. Azotam constitutionally agreed to the group law, which contains the mediation provision, and a community selection. Azotam’s acceptance of the Knicks ‘ place that commercial disputes may be heard in both state and federal courts appeared to support the Knicks ‘ position. However, Clarke emphasized that” the Raptors were certainly a celebration” to Azotam’s Knicks agreement, which” cannot supersede the NBA Constitution’s Arbitration Clause with respect to problems involving the Owls.”

Silver’s ties to Larry Tanenbaum, a minority owner of the Raptors who serves as chairman of the NBA Board of Governors, also did n’t move the needle.
While the Knicks argue Silver is biased given Tanenbaum’s position, Clarke deemed that description “premature” and analogized it to” a problem about the presiding before the sport has actually started”.
The prosecutor also emphasized precedent from the Deflategate case, in which Tom Brady and the NFLPA asserted that Roger Goodell, the commissioner of the NFL, was unable to mediate disputes pretty. Clarke emphasized that in that situation, as in this one, the parties had agreed to mediate claims while “knowing whole well” the director could have a stake.
Although the Knicks hoped the debate may be litigated, the team was still succeed in mediation. The Raptors may face fines or draft picks if the NBA discovers them innocent of the accusations. The Raptors have unwaveringly refuted the accusations and claim that the complaint is merely a “publicity prank.”