NBA investigating billionaire Mat Ishbia's Phoenix Suns for tampering, here’s why
Following their opening night win over the Golden State Warriors, the Phoenix Suns might find themselves on the wrong end of an investigation. Reports have emerged that the league could be coming after the front office with a tampering suit.
Dating back to last year's trade deadline, the Phoenix Suns have completely re-vamped their roster. After trading for Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal, the front office had to put together a supporting cast that complements the team's star trio. Among the many players to ink a deal with Phoenix this offseason was Drew Eubanks.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the NBA could be investigating the Suns for tampering over the signing of Eubanks. Citing that the organization may have had early contact with him prior to the start of free agency.
Upon hitting free agency this summer, Eubanks signed a two-year contract with the Suns worth five million dollars. Prior to this, he spent the first five years of his career with the San Antonio Spurs and Portland Trail Blazers. Last year, he averaged 6.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in 78 games for the Blazers.
What kind of punishment could the Phoenix Suns be facing?
While no team wants to be accused of tampering, the punishment is not that stiff. If found guilty, the Phoenix Suns should expect a similar result to some of the more recent tampering findings.
Prior to the Suns, the last tampering investigation held by the NBA league office was against the Philadelphia 76ers. After they signed P.J. Tucker in free agency, the league felt their could have been early contact due to his connections with the team via the Houston Rockets.
In the end, the league did find the Sixers guilty of tampering. Their punishment was having their second-round pick stripped in 2023 and 2024.
The instance before that happened when Lonzo Ball signed with the Chicago Bulls and Kyle Lowry signed with the Miami Heat. For the same reason as the Suns and Sixers, the league investigated the two franchises for tampering. They too were found guilty and were each forced to surrender a second-round pick.
While last trade deadline showed the value of second-round picks, it is far from a steep price to pay. Even if they are found guilty of early contact with Drew Eubanks, Matt Ishbia and the Suns likely will not be sweating the small price to pay. In the end, the organization remains focused on competing for a championship this season.