Lakers fined $500K for tampering
The NBA fined the Lakers $500,000 U.S. on Thursday for tampering with former Indiana Pacers star Paul George.
The penalty stems from a conversation between Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka and George’s agent, Aaron Mintz. Mintz also represents Lakers forward Julius Randle and D’Angelo Russell, the Lakers’ 2015 second overall pick, whom they traded to the Brooklyn Nets in June. The NBA’s anti-tampering rule attempts to prohibit teams from interfering with a player who is under contract with another team. Among banned communications are any public expressions of interest in a player under contract with another team, or expressing interest to the player’s agent while he is still under contract with another team.
The league said it gave the Lakers a warning after president of basketball operations Magic Johnson spoke about George during an interview with late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel.
Kimmel asked Johnson whether he would be allowed to talk to George during the off-season.
“We gonna say hi because we know each other,” Johnson said. “You just can’t say, ‘Hey, I want you to come to the Lakers,’ even though I’ll be, wink-winking, like, ‘You know what that means, right?’ “
The fine could have been up to $5 million.
While they found evidence of tampering, the law firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz, who conducted the investigation, did not find any evidence of an agreement or understanding that a deal was in place.
The Indiana Pacers filed the tampering charges against the Lakers.