Pacers to file tampering charges against Lakers

HurricaneDij25 · Post #1 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 4:13 am

https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/report-pacers-file-tampering-charges-against-lakers-over-paul-george/?src=rss

About damn time...

Wizop · Post #2 » by **Wizop** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 7:54 pm

I'm not very confident but I'd love to be wrong and be awarded a pick from the Lakers.

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Post #3 » by **boomershadow** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 8:08 pm

I am actually really stoked that this is happening. I was really pessimistic about anything being able to be done. My attitude during the PG trade search was just that this is kind of the way the league and players operate these days. Players so often try to team up, recruit each other, choose their own destinations so often anymore that I didn't think much could realistically happen, just a crummy situation for us. Maybe that's still the case and nothing will come out of this, but I am glad to see some sort of action taken.

Because it wasn't really appropriate at all for the Lakers to be recruiting him for the future while we were still trying to take him to other teams. It almost certainly affected the return that we were able to get, and I know several posters here were super ticked about it.

Post #4 » by **ThunderBolt** » Sun Aug 20, 2017 9:17 pm

The real key is do they have evidence to prove their accusation? Hopefully enough to prevent George from signing in LA.

Johnny Kilroy · Post #5 » by **Johnny Kilroy** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 12:47 am

You guys know your ownership, they can't waste money over a frivolous suit. They have evidence. The question is, what kind exactly? You will at least get some form of compensatory damages. However - if indiana has proof LA spoke with George behind their back, whether directly or via third party reps...then money, multiple picks, and the barring of George being able to play for LA throughout the next four years is all on the table.

Post #6 » by **Miller4ever** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:18 am

My guess? Some e-mail or texts from PG's agents that go over the line of subtlety that other GM's were nice enough to chare with our FO. It's decently common knowledge that PG's agent pretty much told everyone in less-than-uncertain terms that PG was going to be a Laker, and then from there we can build a case.

HurricaneDij25 · Post #7 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:54 am

Wizop wrote:I'm not very confident but I'd love to be wrong and be awarded a pick from the Lakers.

Sent from my SM-G935P using RealGM mobile app

I neither want nor expect this. The thing I hope comes of this is a precedent to be set that big market teams are not above the law...

HurricaneDij25 · Post #8 » by **HurricaneDij25** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 6:58 am

Knrstz wrote:The real key is do they have evidence to prove their accusation? Hopefully enough to prevent George from signing in LA.

Now we're talking. 8-)

If found guilty I think the Lakers should be stripped of their rights to negotiate with the said player during free agency. :nod:

Not likely, though.

Wizop · Post #9 » by **Wizop** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 1:22 pm

Johnny Kilroy wrote:You guys know your ownership, they can't waste money over a frivolous suit.

there is no suit. we simply filed a complaint with the league and the league has hired lawyers to investigate.

tocooks101 · Post #10 » by **tocooks101** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:32 pm

Knrstz wrote:The real key is do they have evidence to prove their accusation? Hopefully enough to prevent George from signing in LA.

They wont be able to stop PG from signing anywhere, the Pacers are going after compensation.

Will gladly take a 1st round pick down the road and watch PG resign with OKC though

Johnny Kilroy · Post #11 » by **Johnny Kilroy** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:33 pm

Wizop wrote:
Johnny Kilroy wrote:You guys know your ownership, they can't waste money over a frivolous suit.

there is no suit. we simply filed a complaint with the league and the league has hired lawyers to investigate.

Yes no suit...but no "simple file" either. Suit is a generic term here. According to Indiana, they have been paying attorneys for months over this.

tocooks101 · Post #12 » by **tocooks101** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 2:35 pm

Johnny Kilroy wrote:
Wizop wrote:
Johnny Kilroy wrote:You guys know your ownership, they can't waste money over a frivolous suit.

there is no suit. we simply filed a complaint with the league and the league has hired lawyers to investigate.

Yes no suit...but no "simple file" either. Suit is a generic term here. According to Indiana, they have been paying attorneys for months over this.

Where did you read they have been paying attorneys for months over this issue?

Post #13 » by **boomershadow** » Mon Aug 21, 2017 4:57 pm

tocooks101 wrote:
Johnny Kilroy wrote:
Wizop wrote:
there is no suit. we simply filed a complaint with the league and the league has hired lawyers to investigate.

Yes no suit...but no "simple file" either. Suit is a generic term here. According to Indiana, they have been paying attorneys for months over this.

Where did you read they have been paying attorneys for months over this issue?

I haven't read specifically that we had a legal team on the case, but I did read that the Pacers have intended to file a claim since before the Oladipo trade ever happened. It seems likely to me that the time between now and then was spent evaluating the merits of such a case. It's a fairly rare move for a team to make, and it could have an impact on our relationship with other front offices and possibly players/agents if it looks like we did so frivolously.

Whether we spent much money on it, compared to what the operating budget of a basketball franchise must be, who knows, but I would be very surprised if we filed this type of claim without having some lawyers take a look at its validity first.

Post #14 » by **Jake0890** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:19 pm

Pacers initiated the claim around draft time.

It's just coming out now.

Post #15 » by **boomershadow** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:27 pm

http://www.wthr.com/article/kravitz-pacers-strongly-believe-they-have-the-lakers-dead-to-rights-believe-they-tampered

Kravitz:

All over the league, teams like Indiana, Oklahoma City and Salt Lake are losing their star players, creating a very uneven playing field and giving rise to the super team phenomenon. In fact, there's word that other small- and mid-market team officials have reached out to the Pacers and told them, "Good for you. Fight the good fight."

Post #16 » by **boomershadow** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 1:34 pm

Watch on YouTube

basketballwacko2 · Post #17 » by **basketballwacko2** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:36 pm

boomershadow wrote:I am actually really stoked that this is happening. I was really pessimistic about anything being able to be done. My attitude during the PG trade search was just that this is kind of the way the league and players operate these days. Players so often try to team up, recruit each other, choose their own destinations so often anymore that I didn't think much could realistically happen, just a crummy situation for us. Maybe that's still the case and nothing will come out of this, but I am glad to see some sort of action taken.

Because it wasn't really appropriate at all for the Lakers to be recruiting him for the future while we were still trying to take him to other teams. It almost certainly affected the return that we were able to get, and I know several posters here were super ticked about it.

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/08/21/lakers-magic-johnson-paul-george-thunder-pacers-tampering-jimmy-kimmel

Read this article in SI. It's one thing for players to talk to each other, but when management is talking to the players or representatives of the player who is under contract with another team it's a whole different ballgame. George had 2 more years on his deal with the Pacers. Yes you count the option year because PG could have exercised it.

If, however, the Lakers’ tampering proved more extensive, such as communications between Lakers officials and George or his representatives, then it would be an entirely different ballgame. Some of the more draconian punishments mentioned above—such as the Lakers having to transfer draft picks to the Pacers or George being barred from signing with the Lakers—would become plausible outcomes.

If the NBA concludes that the Lakers and/or Johnson tampered, potential penalties would range from a warning, a fine that wouldn’t exceed $5 million, a suspension of Johnson for a definite or indefinite period, forfeiture of Lakers’ draft picks, transfer of Lakers’ draft picks to the Pacers or—and this is the big one—a prohibition placed on the Lakers from signing George for a definite or indefinite period.

That last part has me excited. I'm 99.9% sure the Lakers Management did tamper with PG through his agent and there were reports that Johnson met with members of PG's family.

Light them up Commish!

basketballwacko2 · Post #18 » by **basketballwacko2** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 10:39 pm

Johnny Kilroy wrote:You guys know your ownership, they can't waste money over a frivolous suit. They have evidence. The question is, what kind exactly? You will at least get some form of compensatory damages. However - if indiana has proof LA spoke with George behind their back, whether directly or via third party reps...then money, multiple picks, and the barring of George being able to play for LA throughout the next four years is all on the table.

I think they have the goods on Johnson and the Lakers, this was not a knee jerk reaction to file charges. This has been 2 months now, and even back to the Trade dead line 2017, when I believe the real damage happened.

basketballwacko2 · Post #19 » by **basketballwacko2** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:00 pm

tocooks101 wrote:
Knrstz wrote:The real key is do they have evidence to prove their accusation? Hopefully enough to prevent George from signing in LA.

They wont be able to stop PG from signing anywhere, the Pacers are going after compensation.

Will gladly take a 1st round pick down the road and watch PG resign with OKC though

Oh yeah according to the SI article that I'm linking here they NBA could bar the Lakers from signing PG they did that when the TWolves got caught making a side deal with Joe Smith in 2000.

https://www.si.com/nba/2017/08/21/lakers-magic-johnson-paul-george-thunder-pacers-tampering-jimmy-kimmel

Post #20 » by **boomershadow** » Tue Aug 22, 2017 11:47 pm

The GB thread on this topic got kinda derailed with discussion about the Chris Paul trade veto. I'm not really trying to start that debate here. It just kinda ticks me off when I see Lakers fans that are still upset about that trade falling through because it cost them a star player, but think it's okay to try to rip off a star player from another team. Hypocrisy at its finest. A part of me hopes that PG ends up going to the Clippers somehow just as a form of poetic justice.

Watching ESPN at work last night, and basically had a panel with a guy saying the Lakers are an NBA cash cow and the Pacers are stupid to do anything that goes against them. Really grinds my gears.