The NBA will launch an investigation to determine if there was tampering in the process by which PJ Tucker became a 76ers player this summer, as reported by journalist Marc Stein. In the league, which has recently been trying to reinforce its measures to avoid this type of practice, they are no strangers to the fact that numerous details began to leak from this transfer since before the market opened, and they will try to clarify the situation so that, if that’s how they see it, fining Philadelphia.
The truth is that, in such a common practice, it is still strange that some are fined and others are not, but this movement in particular has many ballots to attract attention. The rumors about it had been very strong for a few days, and just a minute after free agency started Shams Charania, a journalist from The Athletic, announced the incorporation. As if that were not enough, the new contract that James Harden agreed with the franchise was designed to leave the salary gap just to accommodate Tucker and his 11 million dollars a year, which practically shows that there was an agreement prior to the date from of which trading is allowed.
In recent years, the Bucks, Heat and Bulls have already been sanctioned for this type of practice, and everything indicates that the Knicks will suffer the same fate after the signing of Jalen Bruson. The NBA’s desire to enforce market times seems to be growing, but so far the penalties have been fairly light and haven’t deterred anyone. Losing a second round of the draft is a price that many would be willing to pay in exchange for a significant signing, so we will see if the league chooses to begin to harden its criteria when it comes to punishing these actions.
(Cover photo: Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
