Indiana Pacers: Inside the tampering case against the Los Angeles Lakers
Paul George is gone and that won’t change, but the Indiana Pacers are not going to rest until their tampering case against the Los Angeles Lakers is heard.
The Indiana Pacers heard the whispers. Magic Johnson then went on Jimmy Kimmel Live! and discussed the possibility (wink, wink) of Paul George joining the Los Angeles Lakers in 2018.
Finally, the bomb drops — George informs Kevin Pritchard (through his agent) that he does not intend to re-sign with Indiana in 2018, but prefers to move west and play for the Lakers.
This sequence of events completely altered the Pacers’ plan to build their team around Paul George, and he was eventually dealt to the Oklahoma City Thunder for Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis.
This appeared to be the end of the story for the time being, but Indiana had other ideas.
A few weeks after George was traded, news broke that the Pacers had filed a grievance with the NBA claiming that the Lakers tampered with Paul George while he was still an Indiana Pacer.
The tampering charges apparently go beyond Magic Johnson’s appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, according to multiple media outlets.
During his late-night TV appearance, Johnson did make a thinly-veiled reference regarding his desire to see George in a Lakers uniform, but the investigation actually centers on a more serious charge.
The Pacers are asserting that Magic Johnson had a phone conversation with Paul George during the month of June, allegedly in an effort to entice George to join the Lakers as a free agent in the summer of 2018.
On the surface, this may look like a petty move by Indiana — after all, the Pacers don’t stand to benefit directly even if the tampering charges are proven.
However, there is a bigger issue at hand and it’s one that goes far beyond two NBA teams and one NBA player.
Hard to prove tampering charges unless there is a paper trail. A wink on The Jimmy Kimmel Show doesn't cut it.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) August 20, 2017
Tampering with another team’s player is a serious matter, and it is further magnified when the perception is that a large-market team may have tampered with a small-market team’s only All-Star.
The reality is that even if the Los Angeles Lakers are found guilty of some or all of the charges, nothing “crippling” is going to happen to Magic Johnson or the franchise.
Nothing more than a reprimand may occur, and the worst-case scenario for the Lakers is probably a fine and/or loss of a draft choice — all of which pale in comparison to the value they will add if Paul George does indeed sign with the team less than a year from now.
The larger point is not what happens regarding the Pacers and Lakers, but rather standing up for the principle that competition in professional sports must remain fair.
The Indiana Pacers have little to tangibly gain from filing tampering charges against the Lakers, but everyone benefits when the league makes it a priority to enforce the rules that each franchise must follow.
Next: Ranking NBA teams by tiers for the 2017-18 season
Yes, everyone — including the Los Angeles Lakers.