Sixers lose two 2nd-round picks after NBA investigation

The Philadelphia 76ers could have their second-round picks within the 2023 and 2024 NBA drafts taken away from them because of violating free company guidelines by having early discussions with forwards P.J. Tucker and Danuel Home Jr, the NBA introduced Monday afternoon.

In its announcement, the league stated the draft picks had been taken away as a result of the 76ers engaged in discussions with each gamers “previous to the date when such discussions had been permitted.”

“The Philadelphia 76ers totally cooperated with the NBA’s investigation and acknowledge the league’s ruling,” the workforce stated in an announcement within the wake of the league’s announcement of the punishment. “We’re transferring ahead, centered on the season forward.”

Philadelphia will nonetheless have a second-round decide within the 2023 NBA draft, because the 76ers will obtain essentially the most favorable decide of the Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets or Charlotte Hornets as a part of prior trades.

The league had been investigating the 76ers because the summer time, when Philadelphia signed Tucker with its mid-level exception and Home with its bi-annual exception — strikes made doable after James Harden took a major pay lower of roughly $15 million after turning down his participant possibility for the 2022-23 season and re-signing with the franchise that traded for him again in February.

Sources informed ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski {that a} comparable investigation into the New York Knicks signing guard Jalen Brunson away from the Dallas Mavericks was nonetheless ongoing.

Sources additionally informed Wojnarowski that the NBA and the Nationwide Basketball Gamers Affiliation are anticipated to debate the foundations governing punishments for groups for having discussions with participant brokers about pending free brokers forward of the beginning of free company.

Even with the continued investigation into the Knicks apart, Philadelphia turns into the fourth workforce up to now two years to be hit with a punishment for some violation of those guidelines, becoming a member of the Milwaukee Bucks, Miami Warmth and Chicago Bulls.

Milwaukee misplaced a second-round decide over an try to finish a sign-and-trade with the Sacramento Kings for Bogdan Bogdanovic, whereas the Warmth and Bulls every misplaced a second-round decide due to early discussions about sign-and-trade offers that had been in the end accomplished for Kyle Lowry and Lonzo Ball, respectively.