An investigation by the NBA is currently underway regarding the Suns and their involvement in possible rule violation during free agency, as reported by Marc Stein on Twitter.
The focus of the league’s probe is centered on early communication with player Drew Eubanks, who signed a two-year contract with the Suns in July. The news of Eubanks’ agreement with Phoenix was disclosed by Shams Charania of The Athletic at 5:05 pm Central Time, just five minutes after the official commencement of free agency.
A ruling from the NBA is expected soon, and according to Stein, if a team is found guilty of jumping the gun on securing a free agent, they usually face the consequence of losing a second-round draft pick.
In the past three offseasons, at least one team has been penalized with the forfeiture of a second-rounder due to similar violations. The Bucks suffered this penalty in 2020 regarding Bogdan Bogdanovic, while the Heat and the Bulls faced the same penalty in 2021 for their respective actions involving Kyle Lowry and Lonzo Ball. In 2022, the Sixers and the Knicks were penalized for early contact with P.J. Tucker and Danuel House and Jalen Brunson, respectively.
Considering the numerous reported contract agreements within the first hour of free agency on June 30, it remains unclear why the NBA specifically launched an investigation into the Suns’ deal with Eubanks.
The Suns have already traded away all of their own future second-round picks for the next seven years, except for Denver’s 2024 pick, which the Suns currently control. Therefore, if the team is required to surrender a second-round pick as a result of the investigation, it is likely to be Denver’s 2024 selection.
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