The NBA is looking to enforce stricter policies regarding tampering after an offseason of major shake-up.
Brian Lewis of the New York Post talked to Brooklyn Nets guard Spencer Dinwiddie about his thoughts on the revamped rules, suggesting that it might have had something to do with the NBA's under-the-radar teams edging out their bigger brother teams in this year's free agency. Dinwiddie didn't really give an answer, but he didn't disagree with the notion either:
Dinwiddie — who was instrumental in recruiting Kyrie Irving, who in turn helped lure Kevin Durant to Brooklyn — was clearly amused by the NBA’s sudden new stance on tampering reform. The irony isn’t lost on him that the reforms came when the NBA’s second sons like the Nets and Clippers cleaned up in free agency.
“You mean when non-traditional powers like the Nets and the Clippers win?” Dinwiddie laughed. “What you’re saying is, if it’d been the Lakers and the Knicks that won it wouldn’t be a problem, but because it’s the Clippers and the Nets that won it’s an issue? You said it, not me.”
Of course, as we saw, the Nets were able to land the two top targets of the New York Knicks in free agency, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Moreover, they were also able to lure in DeAndre Jordan, who played for the Knicks last season.
On the other side of the country, the LA Clippers edged out the marquee Los Angeles Lakers franchise in signing reigning Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard while also landing Paul George in a blockbuster deal.
There has been plenty of chatter about what really went on during Leonard and George's recruitment process, and there has been speculation about whether the two began speaking about teaming up prior to the designated free-agency period.
Whether it's because of the Kawhi-PG situation or the fact the little bros beat out the big bros in free agency, players may have to be more careful about recruiting each other moving forward.
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