Billl wrote:puja21 wrote:Billl wrote:
It's not tampering. Players can talk to each other all they want. It's not like players can offer each other a contract or agree to a trade. It's the teams that have to follow tampering rules.
That's wrong, it actually is tampering
Source:
https://www.si.com/nba/2019/09/23/adam-silver-nba-tampering-compliance-salary-cap-stricter-rulesArticles 35 and 35A of the league constitution leave no doubt that an owner, general manager, coach, scout or player can’t try to persuade a person employed by another team to join the tampering team.
...
A player who tampers can be suspended for as many games as the commissioner deems appropriate.
It's just very hard to enforce and to my knowledge never has been (against players)
Nope. Read the actual clause. "Any Player who, directly or indirectly, entices, induces, persuades
or attempts to entice, induce, or persuade any Player, Coach, Trainer,
General Manager or any other person who is under contract to any other
Exhibit A A-25
Member of the Association to enter into negotiations for or relating to his
services or negotiates or contracts for such services shall, on being charged
with such tampering"
It's only tampering if you are getting the player to negotiate a contract with management. Players can encourage each other to ask for a trade.
Consider that the wording is the same for 35E (non players) and yet both of these were ruled tampering:
Mike Malone: [Chris Paul] would “look pretty good in a Sacramento Kings uniform.”
Magic Johnson on Paul George: “We’re going to say ‘hi’ because we know each other. You just can't say, 'Hey, I want you come to the Lakers,' even though I'm going to be wink-winking.” Johnson then complemented his answer by offering an exaggerated wink. He then joked, “You know what that means, right?”
I'd imagine there is plenty of leeway in the phrasing, "indirectly" "attempts to persuade" etc...
Also note that "enter negotiations related to his services" doesn't mean negotiate the terms of a new contract (these are players under contract already). Forcing a trade like Paul George did at the behest of Leonard would qualify too.
It's just hasn't been in the league's best interest to have the commissioner pursue this. No one wants league interference (see Chris Paul veto)