Tampering is something that every NBA team is guilty of. We know this because a slew of player contracts are announced as soon as free agency begins. Technically, teams cannot talk to players before the free agency period. Yet, they all have their contracts finalized at 6 PM on free agency day.
It just goes to show that the NBA's rules against tampering don't actually work. Everyone understands how to play the game, and for the most part, the NBA doesn't do anything to stop. However, if players or teams somehow snitch on themselves, then the NBA opens up an investigation in the name of integrity.
That is exactly what happened with the Philadelphia 76ers and PJ Tucker. It became very clear that Tucker was going to sign with the Sixers, and we knew this prior to his official signing. That said, the NBA had to launch an investigation. They also brought Danuel House into the mix, as he also signed with the Sixers.
In the end, the NBA revealed in a statement that they had found the Sixers guilty as charged. As a result of these tampering infractions, the Sixers must now relinquish their second-round draft picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts. Draft compensation can hurt you deeply, and the Sixers are finding that out.
Of course, there are a lot of teams out there who simply do not care about second-round picks. The Sixers had to give up a few picks to get James Harden, so now, their next few drafts will be barren. As it turns out, the Sixers have responded to the report with a statement of their own.
“The Philadelphia 76ers fully cooperated with the NBA’s investigation and acknowledge the league’s ruling. We’re moving forward, focused on the season ahead," they said.
This will act as a deterrent for any future instances of very obvious tampering. Regardless, teams will continue to talk to players prior to free agency, and there is nothing they can do to really change that.