WOJ: NBA investigating possible tampering: Update Bulls forfeit 2nd Round Pick pg. 31

[DuckIII]

It doesn't matter if someone else got away with it-again, as I tell my kids constantly-life isn't fair

It matters when others are intentionally allowed to get away with it. It’s called equity.

[R3AL1TY]

The NBA itself should be investigated for double standards.

[gobullschi]

If the Bulls lose a draft pick, AK deserves criticism. Tampering has been going on for years and it’s because it’s so simple to hide it.

Getting caught is just sloppy.

He doesn't deserve criticism. Tampering in free agency is like traveling in the nba or holding in the NFL. You could call that on nearly every play it simply depends on when the refs feel like enforcing it. This is the league responding to a lot of small market teams complaining about not getting call backs from players agents.

That’s speculation. Players tampering is one thing, but when executives tamper, they need to take precautions to not cost your team draft picks. It’s really not difficult to hide communications. So if guilty, yes, he does deserve criticism.

[StunnerKO]

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[bledredwine]

I’m sincerely worried and have been since this headlined appeared a few days ago.

What punitive actions can be taken? And why the hell are they always jumping on us when we do something?

It boggles my mind that Brooklyn and LA haven’t gotten into one of these scenarios over the past decade, with the exception of the CP3 veto.

Yet we get called out on Lonzo Ball. What agenda does the league have regarding the Bulls? It doesn’t make sense.

[HomoSapien]

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Interesting. So I wonder if that unintentionally implies we are being investigated of tampering.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Pelicans complained considering their entire off-season was built around trying to pursue Lowry.

[DuckIII]

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Interesting. So I wonder if that unintentionally implies we are being investigated of tampering.

I wouldn't be surprised if the Pelicans complained considering their entire off-season was built around trying to pursue Lowry.

This is all so stupid. There is nothing that prevents anyone from verbally agreeing (which is unenforceable) to sign and trades before free agency opens so long as they are not tampering.

[weneeda2guard]

So is there any update on what the league issue is with us?

Considering the bulls and pelicans had a deal on the table at the trade deadline, and the fact that more than likely a number was discussed way back in March on a extension because a team is not going to trade for a player if that player is not committed to resigning long term and there is no law broken when lavine and ball are talking the what is the issue here? Is it just the bad look of announcing a deal at 5:01? Are we in trouble because we should have announced a done deal at 8:30 pm?

What about all the deals announced on the 1st day does the league seriously think agents and players agreed to deal within the first hours of free agency? League is willing to play dumb for some teams when they announced a deal at 7pm and act shocked when it's announced at 5:01?

As I posted before this is likely the grizzlies, Cleveland (especially) Orlando, Indiana, Minnesota etc complaining of not having a fair shot at free agents. Silver should have just told them to make themselves more attractive like the rest of the teams do.

[HomoSapien]

With the NBA investigating the timing of the sign-and-trade transaction utilized by the Miami Heat to land free-agent guard Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors, several mitigating factors would appear to stand in the Heat’s favor.

According to an NBA party familiar with the league’s tampering investigation, the Heat’s maneuvering for Lowry differs significantly from the timing of the Chicago Bulls’ sign-and-trade acquisition of New Orleans Pelicans free-agent guard Lonzo Ball, which ESPN reports the NBA also is investigating.

Unlike with the Ball situation, the Heat previously had been involved in extensive negotiations with the Raptors at the March 22 NBA trading deadline regarding Lowry’s availability. At the time, the Raptors laid out potential parameters for a trade, an NBA source confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, with it also clear at the time what the financial parameters would be to sign Lowry in free agency.

Lowry ultimately agreed to a three-year, $85 million contract that starts at $27 million this coming season.
Aware of those parameters, the Heat last Sunday picked up the 2021-22 $19.4 million team option on the contract of veteran guard Goran Dragic, with that contract along with the contract of neophyte center Precious Achiuwa utilized as matching salaries for the Lowry acquisition. The advance work on the Lowry possibility at the NBA trading deadline was in marked contrast to the sign-and-trade agreement between the Bulls and Pelicans for Ball, with no trade consideration in that case at the trading deadline.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/fl-sp-miami-heat-nba-free-agency-sunday-20210808-kqqkbpvt3balfdswpnrcxfykpe-story.html

That's from Winderman. We obviously had extensive talks with the Pelicans too, so this seems off to me. If Winderman is right though, it sounds like our punishment will be harsher.

[BeKuK]

The whole thing is starting to feel like an colonoscopy gone wrong. Nothing but a deep pain in the ass.

And the bad thing is that at the moment I don't even know who is more responsible for it .... the Bulls or the league.

[weneeda2guard]

How does the league not know a previous discussion was made at the trade deadline between the bulls and pelicans for ball?

Is this a joke?

[HomoSapien]

How does the league not know a previous discussion was made at the trade deadline between the bulls and pelicans for ball?

Is this a joke?

One explanation would be if the Pelicans filed the complaint.

[pipfan]

I will be bummed if we lose Ball, but fine with it. We clearly broke the rule. I run a school, and kids all the time say "well, _____ did it too-why do I get in trouble?". Well, lots of people speed, but only people who get caught have to pay the ticket. If we broke the rule knowingly, then we get screwed. It doesn't matter if someone else got away with it-again, as I tell my kids constantly-life isn't fair

How did we “clearly” break a rule though? How do we know that our conversations weren’t strictly with NOP? People are assuming a lot.

Maybe I don't understand the Tampering rule.
If we talked to NOP about a contract for Ball, and then they talked to him to see if he would accept it, before the opening of legal, open negotiations (since we announced it IMMEDIATELY when the window began), would that be tampering?

Is tampering only if we talked to Ball directly? Honestly, I don't know the rule, but it seems impossible to me that it was agreed to so quickly, without tampering being involved. But of course, if the above situation is legal, I guess it would not be tampering

[Bullflip]

Is it possible for all the deals to fall through and we lose all our first rounders for the next couple of years?

[Jeffster81]

With the NBA investigating the timing of the sign-and-trade transaction utilized by the Miami Heat to land free-agent guard Kyle Lowry from the Toronto Raptors, several mitigating factors would appear to stand in the Heat’s favor.

According to an NBA party familiar with the league’s tampering investigation, the Heat’s maneuvering for Lowry differs significantly from the timing of the Chicago Bulls’ sign-and-trade acquisition of New Orleans Pelicans free-agent guard Lonzo Ball, which ESPN reports the NBA also is investigating.

Unlike with the Ball situation, the Heat previously had been involved in extensive negotiations with the Raptors at the March 22 NBA trading deadline regarding Lowry’s availability. At the time, the Raptors laid out potential parameters for a trade, an NBA source confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel, with it also clear at the time what the financial parameters would be to sign Lowry in free agency.

Lowry ultimately agreed to a three-year, $85 million contract that starts at $27 million this coming season.
Aware of those parameters, the Heat last Sunday picked up the 2021-22 $19.4 million team option on the contract of veteran guard Goran Dragic, with that contract along with the contract of neophyte center Precious Achiuwa utilized as matching salaries for the Lowry acquisition. The advance work on the Lowry possibility at the NBA trading deadline was in marked contrast to the sign-and-trade agreement between the Bulls and Pelicans for Ball, with no trade consideration in that case at the trading deadline.

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/miami-heat/fl-sp-miami-heat-nba-free-agency-sunday-20210808-kqqkbpvt3balfdswpnrcxfykpe-story.html

That's from Winderman. We obviously had extensive talks with the Pelicans too, so this seems off to me. If Winderman is right though, it sounds like our punishment will be harsher.

Bulls better be prepared to fight any punishment from Silver. This feels like one of those "the league is so mad about the Lakers/Heat, etc tampering's that they'll take it out on the Bulls" situations. Hell, Miami had one of the all time tampering's when the Big Three formed up and nothing happened.

[Betta Bulleavit]

If the NBA chooses to combat tampering by trying to make an example of a team or two all of a sudden, that will be the point where I will have to be done. It would essentially be one step up from WWE, which I gave up on years ago.

[step]

The advance work on the Lowry possibility at the NBA trading deadline was in marked contrast to the sign-and-trade agreement between the Bulls and Pelicans for Ball, with no trade consideration in that case at the trading deadline.

A quick 30s google from Ira or the fact-checkers could have easily found this.

I have a feeling there'll be a token monetary fine + loss of a 2nd round pick, similar to the Bucks situation. More to say "hey we're watching".

Hell, Miami had one of the all time tampering's when the Big Three formed up and nothing happened.

Basically nothing precludes from players discussing it, just front offices. Double standards ahoy. It's a joke.

[HomoSapien]

The potential penalties for tampering have also been consequential. An offending team can have draft picks stripped away and transferred to a victimized team. Free agent signings can be voided. A team official deemed responsible can be fined up to $5 million. A player who tampers can be suspended for as many games as the commissioner deems appropriate.

Record Retention: Team executives must retain all communications with players and their representatives for one year. This record retention policy prevents a team from convincingly claiming that it no longer possesses records of communications. It also discourages “spoliation of evidence,” which refers to the illegal practice of altering or destroying records to avoid their disclosure in a potential legal matter. A failure by a team to preserve a record can now more readily for the basis of a league punishment. Formalized record retention procedures should place the NBA in an enhanced position to investigate and obtain relevant evidence.

https://www.si.com/nba/2019/09/23/adam-silver-nba-tampering-compliance-salary-cap-stricter-rules

When new rules are implemented, someone has to be the first that the league makes an example of. I'm starting to get a bad feeling.

[WindyCityBorn]

Is it possible for all the deals to fall through and we lose all our first rounders for the next couple of years?

Highly unlikely.

[WindyCityBorn]

The potential penalties for tampering have also been consequential. An offending team can have draft picks stripped away and transferred to a victimized team. Free agent signings can be voided. A team official deemed responsible can be fined up to $5 million. A player who tampers can be suspended for as many games as the commissioner deems appropriate.

Record Retention: Team executives must retain all communications with players and their representatives for one year. This record retention policy prevents a team from convincingly claiming that it no longer possesses records of communications. It also discourages “spoliation of evidence,” which refers to the illegal practice of altering or destroying records to avoid their disclosure in a potential legal matter. A failure by a team to preserve a record can now more readily for the basis of a league punishment. Formalized record retention procedures should place the NBA in an enhanced position to investigate and obtain relevant evidence.

https://www.si.com/nba/2019/09/23/adam-silver-nba-tampering-compliance-salary-cap-stricter-rules

When new rules are implemented, someone has to be the first that the league makes an example of. I'm starting to get a bad feeling.

I’m not.