Simmonds 'anti-tampering’ comments cost Warriors Governor $50k fine

Joe Lacob, Governor of the NBA's Golden State Warriors, was fined $50,000(USD) yesterday for breaching the league's stringent anti-tampering rules after unusual comments about Ben Simmons potential trade, despite never mentioning the player's name.

Mr Lacob, without referring to Simmons directly, said in news reports on 21 September 2021, "In some ways, it doesn't fit what we're doing."

"The problem is, we have Draymond [Green]. Draymond and him are very similar in the sense that neither one really shoots and they do a lot of the playmaking. That's one issue. The salary structure is another," he added.

The NBA's applicable rule on tampering for non-players is as follows;

Article 35A of the NBA Constitution 2019 - Misconduct of persons other than players: