what is tampering in the nba

Tampering in the NBA refers to the act of a teams representatives speaking to players on rival teams to attempt to lure them to join their team. This includes publicly showing interest in acquiring the player or approaching his agent about a possible trade. The NBAs tampering rules state that any member of an organization, including coaches, players, executives, or owners, cannot speak to a player on another team with the intention of luring him to join their team. The penalty for tampering can involve a variety of punishments, whatever the NBA deems fit, including fines, loss of draft capital, trades reversed, and free agent signings voided. A team official, if found guilty, can be fined up to $10 million while an active player can be suspended from games. However, tampering is common in the NBA, and the consequences of tampering are not major enough to stop teams from doing it, so franchises continue to approach players, keep fans on their toes, and preserve the excitement of the game.