Lakers fined $500K by the NBA for tampering

 The NBA has fined the Los Angeles Lakers $500,000 for tampering with Paul George. An independent law firm conducted the investigation and found that Lakers GM, Rob Pelinka’s contact with George’s agent while he was still with the Indiana Pacers as a violation. The said contact constituted a prohibited expression of interest while he was still under contract with another team.

“We respect and accept the NBA’s decision regarding this matter,” Pelinka said in a statement. “On behalf of the Los Angeles Lakers, I want to express our regret over this unfortunate incident to both our fans and the NBA.”

The Lakers got lucky, in a sense, that the penalty was purely a financial one. There was a possibility that they could have had to forfeit draft picks in the future, which would spell trouble for the team’s rebuilding plans.