Did Magic and the Los Angeles Lakers tamper with Paul George?
By Ben Gibson
The Indiana Pacers are still looking to trade Paul George, but questions arise whether the Los Angeles Lakers have violated the NBA’s tampering rules.
Once Magic Johnson joked about Paul George on Jimmy Kimmel, the question came up whether that constituted tampering.
Now that it appears Paul George is all but a lock to join the Lakers, the question is coming up again. It appears PG is dead set on joining them despite LA’s lackadaisical approach to the trade market for him.
So are the Lakers working in the shadows? Is there a conspiracy afoot? Is Adam Silver the man on the grassy knoll?
It is hard to say, but even if they were tampering, it doesn’t seem like they would get more than a fine from the NBA. In 2013, several teams were fined for tampering, but none had to forfeit draft picks or were dealt any major punishments for actions similar to Magic’s.
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For what it is worth, according to the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Taylor, the Pacers haven’t brought this subject up to the league yet, either.
"That’s unlikely to happen, according to multiple league sources.The Pacers, according to a source, are more concerned about finding a team or multiple teams to help facilitate a trade that would bring them the most compensation possible in exchange for George. Kevin Pritchard, the Pacers’ new president, engaged with several teams Monday about potential trades involving George, according to a source. Pritchard is hoping to have a trade agreement in place before Thursday’s draft.As of Monday afternoon, the Pacers had not contacted the NBA about the possibility that the Lakers tampered with George, who has one year left on his contract with Indiana."
Unless the NBA had evidence that Paul George and the Lakers had direct contact and were scheming together, then it seems unlikely Indiana would be rewarded with draft picks from the Lakers. In 1996, the New York Knicks got the Miami Heat’s No. 19 pick when the Heat were caught tampering with former Knicks coach Pat Riley.
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It is worth keeping an eye on, but it will take more than a joke on late night TV to compel the NBA to come down on the Lakers.