SimmonsMagic meeting request to be investigated

The NBA is going to investigate whether league rules were broken when Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons inquired about meeting with Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson for playing tips.

League spokesman Mike Bass said Monday that the NBA will look at the matter. Johnson revealed over the weekend that Simmons expressed a desire to meet, through an intermediary, and indicated that he would be willing to partake in such a session with the 76ers’ starting point guard if all parties involved granted permission.

76ers general manager Elton Brand, however, told Philadelphia radio station WPEN that when the request was made about a month ago, he declined. Brand said it was presented by members of Simmons’ inner circle as a way last season’s rookie of the year could raise his game by learning from various greats, and Johnson’s name was on their list.

Brand also told the radio station that Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka asked if such a meeting could take place.

“Rob Pelinka called me and said ‘Hey, we’re hearing Ben wants to talk to Hall of Famers, championship-level players, and Magic’s on the list. We need authorization for him to meet up,”’ Brand told the radio station. “And I said ‘No.’ This is over a month ago, so I said no . ... We didn’t sign off on whatever they’re talking about.”

Johnson said Sunday that when Simmons reached out in an indirect way about getting together, he responded by saying that the NBA, the 76ers and the Lakers would all have to sign off on such a meeting before one could be scheduled.

“If everybody doesn’t sign off, then we can’t get together,” Johnson said.

Brand told the station that he may be willing to permit the meeting if he was present.

The NBA is taking tampering concerns particularly seriously of late, and the Lakers have been on the league’s radar before. They were fined $50,000 last year when Johnson commented to ESPN about Milwaukee star Giannis Antetokounmpo. And in 2017, the Lakers were fined $500,000 when the league found Pelinka had been communicating with Paul George’s agent while George was with the Indiana Pacers.

Like Simmons, Johnson was bigger-than-most point guard. Johnson is 6-foot-9, Simmons is listed at 6-10.

“I love his game. I love his vision,” Johnson said Sunday. “I love also, too, in terms of basketball IQ ... he’s very high basketball IQ. And look at him now. The East better watch out.”

Said Simmons, when asked later Sunday about Johnson: “To learn from somebody like that would be huge.”

Brand didn’t sound worried that Simmons has any desire to change teams soon.

“He’s really happy here in Philadelphia,” Brand told the radio station.

Jeremy Lin gets bought out, plans to sign with Raptors

MIAMI >> Jeremy Lin is on the move again, with the veteran guard getting waived by the Atlanta Hawks and intending to sign later this week playoffcontending Toronto Raptors.

The Hawks waived Lin on Monday and Jim Tanner, one of his agents, confirmed Lin’s plan to join Toronto, which was first reported by ESPN.

Lin and the Hawks worked out a buyout agreement.

“The future is bright for Atlanta!!! I truly mean that!” Lin posted Monday on Instagram . “Everyone who knows me knows how big my dreams are and that I have so much left to give to the game. Hyped to join the Raptors!!”

Lin thanked the Hawks, saying they helped him “become myself again on the basketball court and allowed me to experience the joy of hoops again!”

Toronto will become Lin’s eighth NBA franchise, after stints with Golden State, New York, Houston, the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte, Brooklyn and this season Atlanta. He appeared in 51 games for the Hawks, all but one of those as a reserve, averaging 10.7 points this season on nearly 47 percent shooting.

Cavs sign well-traveled Stauskas for rest of season

CLEVELAND >> Nik Stauskas has been in Cleveland for a week. He’s finally getting a chance to wear a Cavaliers uniform.

The Cavaliers have signed the welltraveled guard, who was traded three times and released last week, for the rest of the season.

Stauskas was briefly with the Cavs, who acquired him from Portland in the deal for forward Rodney Hood. He never appeared in a game before Cleveland sent him two days later to Houston, which promptly traded Stauskas at the deadline to Indiana. The Pacers then waived the 25-year-old, allowing the rebuilding Cavs to scoop him up.

And while being traded twice and then waived, Stauskas never left Cleveland.