When it comes to tampering, the NBA takes things very seriously. If a player comes out in public and encourages another player to sign with their team, you can expect a huge fine to come down the pipeline. Tampering is especially a problem in the offseason leading up to free agency. It always feels like teams have deals going on in the background when in reality, they are supposed to wait for the start of free agency before actually engaging in negotiations.
This year, the NBA was interested in both the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat, as they both ended up doing massive sign and trades to get players like Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry. The timing of these deals seemed suspicious, and the league felt as though the trades had been negotiated prior to the opening of the free agency period.
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According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the NBA has officially taken action against the Bulls and the Heat. They felt as though both teams were cooperative with the investigation, however, they still saw some wrongdoing here. As a result, the Bulls and the Heat will have to forfeit their upcoming second-round draft picks. It's not the harshest penalty ever, however, it still sets a precedent.
With the punishment being so light, it remains to be seen whether or not this actually deters other teams from doing the same thing. For now, however, the Bulls and the Heat have certainly gotten the message.
