Waiting was hardest part in Lowry case

INDIANAPOLIS — We waited four months for that? For the

NBA to issue the most moderate of wrist slaps?

When the Miami Heat signed Kyle Lowry in August, it was cast in some circles as a franchise-altering move, giving Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Duncan Robinson someone to guide the offense and drive the defense.

And then days later, when word surfaced of the NBA looking into the timing of the negotiations that delivered Lowry from the Toronto Raptors, the concern was that the repercussions also could be franchise altering.

Speculation ranged anywhere from the unwinding of the Lowry signing to the loss of first-round capital (perhaps even multiple picks) to an eight-figure fine to the suspension of front-office personnel, Pat Riley being banished as a modern-day George Steinbrenner.

And in the end? A stinkin’ second-round draft choice, currency generally considered NBA trade filler, the type of selections dealt for cash on draft night.

All the while, the league (and the teams accused) making sure that tampering was not the adjective attached to the investigation, but rather terming it a timing issue of the teams acting ahead of the formal start of free-agency period.

The irony there is the information about the secondround sanctions to the Heat and Chicago Bulls (accused of acting in a similar manner with Lonzo Ball) was leaked ahead of Wednesday’s formal announcement. So the same “sources say” that triggered the investigation turned into “sources say” when it came to the announcement of the sanctions.

And that’s the rub. This is a league that appreciates the benefits of the 365-day news cycle, including free-agency timing that affords media outlets, including NBA partners, to cash in on the

frenzy that is free agency.

Even in adjudicating, the NBA seemingly gave tacit approval to go ahead and do it again if it creates tangible gain.

Put another way: If the Raptors would have asked for an additional second-round pick in the sign-and-trade transaction that delivered Lowry to South Florida, would the Heat have balked? Similarly, if the New Orleans Pelicans wanted an additional second-round pick to complete the Ball deal, could the Bulls have afforded to balk?

Instead, those two secondround picks disappear into the ether, no supposedly aggrieved party receiving restitution, just two fewer prospects to hear their names called on draft night.

The penalties ironically require the two penalized teams to likely forward second-round selections acquired from other teams, because of the lack of their own draft capital.

In the Heat’s instance, the pick forfeited will come this June as the worse of the secondround selections of the Denver Nuggets or Philadelphia 76ers (the Heat acquired the pick in the 2019 draft-night trade for the rights to Bol Bol). And that pick only will be available to forfeit if the Heat make the playoffs. Otherwise, it is committed to the Houston Rockets.

So if the Heat fail to make the playoffs or are eliminated in the play-in round, then there is no Heat 2022 second-rounder to forfeit, with another secondround selection possibility not available to surrender until 2028.

By then, Lowry’s three-year, $85 million contract will have expired and the Heat front office might look considerably different.

The entire process began when an executive from another team claimed foul. While anonymity was preserved, it all is part of the league’s smaller markets — or those perceived as less attractive — continually claiming to be shorted by the free-agency process, even when flush with cash.

That is not something that is going to change with impotent sanctions over tampering (or, if you insist, timing issues).

If the NBA wanted to crack down, second-rate secondround picks would not have been the penalty of choice.

Basically, a warning was issued, one unlikely to dissuade the most aggressive teams in free agency.

Basically, in order to get off the clock when it comes to free agency, simply forward Adam Silver a second-round pick — and then negotiate away.

Ultimately, the waiting was the hardest part.