ESPN: Owners frustrated by free agency drama

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27243621/inside-tense-nba-owners-meeting-change-free-agency

What tampering rules?

Interested to see if anything comes of this:

The first person to talk to should be Woj.

 

I thought all the NBA basically had decided it was ok to tamper as much as you want too as long as you don't talk about it publicly.

 

My dream is still alive that every team except the Blazers will be found guilty of tampering before the free agency period began and they'll be punished by stripping away their 1st round pick in 2020 therefore giving us the #1 pick by default.

I can dream right?

 

Wont be all the teams. Phoenix is so inept they probably didnt even realize that free agency was coming up.

 

Phoenix during FA


“San Diego said they would give us their 1st pick in the draft!”

Free Agents when Phoenix calls


Phoenix GM 3 days into FA

 

The most ridiculous ones were KD apparently agreeing to go to BK without Sean Marks even knowing about it. Or JJ Redick saying on his podcast that he was going to NO after finding out from Woj on his burner twitter.

I mean how stupid do these fools think we are?

 

See this is where the Kanter tweets can prove the Blazers' innocence! Clearly we waited to 3:00 otherwise we would've already known Kanter's decision!

 

They'd probably be stupid enough to admit they were tampering when they really weren't just so they can act like they were paying attention.

 

They're not gonna do anything. The players hold all the power. NBA is the only league where one player can bring you from the basement to contending. It's not like the other ones like football when if you have a QB, if you don't have a line you're toast.

I imagine there's probably gonna be a lockout in regards to this stuff but nothing will change. All the newspapers will write how Player 1 and Player 2 want to go to New York or LA, the players will talk at the ASG or DM each other during the season and the players will go wherever the sun shines brightest and bring a buddy along with them.

 

So, it sounds like the solution is to expand the number of players and specialize positions. Personally, I kind of like the idea of James Harden going for one of his drives up the middle and getting flattened by a 300 lb. defensive lineman.

 

An Owner in Portland that tampers would be nice.

 

All you have to do is get someone like LeBron James.

 

Oh no! That would be LeBron team. Not a Basketball team.

 

I'm just hoping for an owner that will always keep the Blazers in Portland...I get the feeling Jodi will do that

 

The tampering rule is so broad and vague, it is not enforcable.
The rule states:

The NBA can fine any player or team that directly or indirectly, entices, induces, or persuades or attempts to entice, induce, or persuade anyone under contract with another team for their services.

When you combine indirectly, entices, and anyone, the tampering options are endless. Example.

A photo of the Heat stadium shown in warm sunlight could indirectly entice a Wolves team receptionist to move to Miami and take a job with the Heat.

 

I agree with pretty much what you said but it's unlikely that the receptionist actually has a contract so wouldn't come under that rule. There may be other language as to defining who that is intended for as well.

 

This is a lot more interesting to me; they may be investigating if some teams have illegally exceeded salary cap restrictions by offering other financial inducements. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/23/sports/nba-free-agency-investigation.html

 

It would sure throw the league into a tizzy if they ruled that the Leonard signing was illegal and voided it.

 

I agree with you 99.9999%. But it is the one in a million exceptions that cause many legal battles. Also vague rules and regulations are often randomly abused by those that enforce them. How often have enforcement officers written a faulty ticket, saying fight it out with the courts?

But staying with my receptionist example.

Companies often have contracts with temp agencies. Say the Wolves receptionist takes her 2 week vacation. A temp under contract fills in. She may have found internal info that could hurt the Wolves if other teams have this info.

After seeing pictures of how nice the weather is in Miami, and fond of being around celebrities, she takes a job with the Heat and moves to Miami.

Very unlikely to happen. But the vague tampering rule could be enforced here.

So I agree with Silver. Much work is needed to correct the tampering rules.