We all understand the salary structure of the league. And we understand that players are free to sign advertising deals with Nike, Gatorade, or in Utah's case, UCCU. But why don't the fans just pool their money and buy good players? Is there something preventing this from happening?

Why aren't fans of the Lakers and the Knicks not pooling millions into competing funds to lure free agents to their cities? I mean, if you are the Knicks and can get Donovan Mitchell for the league minimum because the fans will independently kick in $40M a year (or some outrageous number) in addition to all the marketing dollars that playing in Manhattan will bring, why not?