NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — The Los Angeles Lakers have been fined $500,000 (594,000 euros) for making an illegal approach to Paul George while he was under contract at the Indiana Pacers, the NBA announced on Thursday.
A statement from the NBA said the Lakers had been found in violation of anti-tampering rules designed to prevent teams from tapping up players under contract elsewhere.
An independent investigation found that the Lakers had breached the regulations after general manager Rob Pelinka made contact with George’s agent.
The Lakers had already been warned about possible tampering by the NBA in April, when president of basketball operations Magic Johnson talked about George during a national television appearance.
The investigation however found no evidence that the Lakers and George had already reached agreement about a future deal.
George was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder in June after informing the Pacers that he planned to opt out of his contract in 2018 as a free agent.
George is reportedly keen to return to his native California to join the Lakers, with team chief Johnson on the record as an admirer.
George averaged 23.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game last season for Indiana.
© Agence France-Presse