The Los Angeles Lakers have been fined $500,000 for violating the NBA's anti-tampering rules, according to Shams Charania of The Vertical.
Former agent-turned-general manager Rob Pelinka had communication with swingman Paul George's agent Aaron Mintz, making that the cause of the fine, according to USA TODAY Sports' Sam Amick.
According to a report by ESPN Insider Bobby Marks, the Lakers had been previously warned by the league of making contact with George or his camp after Magic Johnson's infamous interview with Jimmy Kimmel in July 20; but the league found the interview itself to be “in a joking manner and not out of bounds,” per Amick.
During the investigation, there was no evidence of an agreement between the Lakers and George to commit to signing with them in 2018.
While this surely hits the Lakers in the pocket, the fine isn't nearly as large as it would have been if any link between a signing would have taken place, instead serving as a precedent for any future situations where a franchise might breach the line.
The anti-tampering rules as they are today aren't specific enough to create a detailed line of punishment, making this the most recent and the largest tampering fine to date, according to Amick.
This fine ranks high up there and easily in the top 15 fines for any franchise in league history.
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