Steve Ballmer has agreed to purchase the Forum in Inglewood for $400 million in cash from The Madison Square Garden Company.

The Forum was recently renovated to serve as a music venue and it will remain in tact.

The move will clear the way for Ballmer to build a basketball arena in Inglewood.

"This is an unprecedented time, but we believe in our collective future," Ballmer said in the news release. "We are committed to our investment in the City of Inglewood, which will be good for the community, the Clippers, and our fans."

The Clippers say owning both the Forum and a new arena will help coordinate and alleviate traffic congestion.

Terance Mann underwent surgery yesterday to repair a ligament in his right hand. Mann suffered the injury during a game on March 8, 2020 while on assignment with the Agua Caliente Clippers of Ontario.  No timetable for his return to basketball has been set.

Mann, 23, has appeared in 35 games for the Clippers this season, averaging 1.6 points and 1.1 assists per game. The first-year guard out of Florida State spent 20 games with the Clippers’ G League affiliate, averaging 15.4 points, 8.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists in 35.0 minutes played for Agua Caliente.  

NBA teams across the league announced plans to provide financial support for event employees paid on an hourly basis.

The Lakers and Clippers joined together with the NHL's Kings to create a fund for the 2,800 hourly staff employees at Staples Center.

The Bulls and NHL's Blackhawks announced that they would pay 1,200 day-of-game staff through the end of the season.

The Nuggets announced that they will pay part-time and hourly staff for the next 30 days.

The Magic also said they were working on a compensation plan for employees.

The Los Angeles Clippers have signed free agent Joakim Noah.

“Joakim is a relentless competitor and a proven winner,” said Lawrence Frank. “His experience, acumen and toughness fit well in our locker room.”

Noah, a two-time NBA All-Star (2013, 2014) and former NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2014), appeared in 42 games last season for the Memphis Grizzlies, averaging 7.1 points, 2.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds. The 6’11”, 230-pound center holds career averages of 8.8 points, 2.8 assists and 9.1 rebounds in 667 appearances across 12 NBA seasons with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks and Grizzlies. Before being selected by Chicago with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft, Noah played three collegiate seasons at the University of Florida, leading the Gators to back-to-back NCAA Championships in 2006 and 2007.

The Los Angeles Clippers have agreed to sign Joakim Noah.

Noah is expected to join the Clippers next week.

Noah spent last season with the Memphis Grizzlies. 

The Los Angeles Clippers have been expected to pursue Kris Dunn this offseason.

Dunn will be a restricted free agent if the Chicago Bulls extend a $4.6 million qualifying offer to him.

Dunn has battled injury issues throughout his career.

"League gossip has existed all season that the Clippers are at least one team that planned to show interest in Dunn this offseason," writes K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports. "Whether his injury changes that or what other teams get involved is unknown."

Teams across the NBA have shifted their power structure over the past few years to appear more player-centric and have erred on the side of caution to protect them from injuries, especially over the long-term.

Several executives point to the way Kawhi Leonard forcing a trade from the San Antonio Spurs in 2018 over a disagreement on how to handle his quad issue.

“Kawhi scared the living hell out of everyone,” one general manager told Tom Haberstroh of NBC Sports. “If it can happen to the Spurs, it can happen to anybody.”

The Toronto Raptors and Leonard worked together on a rest strategy that resulted in a championship. The Los Angeles Clippers have taken a similar approach with Leonard this season.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were recently fined $25,000 for resting D'Angelo Russell in the first night of a back-to-back. The Wolves subsequently released the following statement:

“We are a player-centric organization that's focused on learning and optimizing our players' bodies. As a new player in our program, we chose to rest D'Angelo in order to learn his body better and to optimize his health during a difficult stretch of games and travel.”

Steve Ballmer is in "advanced negotiations" to purchase The Forum in Inglewood, California, from the Madison Square Group, league sources told Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.

Ballmer and the Clippers are reportedly looking to build a stadium in the area. 

"The Clippers continue to pursue plans to build a state-of-the-art, 18,000-seat basketball arena and entertainment complex in Inglewood and are currently working with the city to successfully complete the comprehensive Environmental Impact Report. We are examining every possible way to resolve our differences with Madison Square Garden Co. regarding our new arena," released the team in a statement.

MSG has been in a lengthy legal battle with Ballmer and the Clippers, alleging that Inglewood agreed to not promote competition to The Forum by helping the Clippers build a new stadium nearby.

MSG has three active lawsuits in the battle against the Clippers building a new stadium in Inglewood.

Sources say that a sale of The Forum is the path of least resistance for all sides involved, and that a sale is imminent.