With the 2021-22 NBA season set to start on Tuesday night, Commissioner Adam Silver sat down with reporters to discuss where the league stands.
During that conversation, it came as no surprise that Silver was asked about the tampering investigation on the sign-and-trade deals for Lonzo Ball and Kyle Lowry. We first learned the Bulls would be investigated for their role in the Ball acquisition on August 7th. The deal – which was the first free agency news to drop on August 2nd – sent Tomas Satoransky, Garrett Temple, and a second-round pick to the Pelicans for the right to sign Ball to a four-year, $80 million deal.
Despite the fact that it has been nearly three months since the tampering investigation opened, Silver provided no updates on the findings or potential timeline for results to be shared. Instead, he merely claimed that both the Ball and Lowry investigations remain “ongoing.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the tampering investigations into sign-and-trades completed by Miami (Kyle Lowry) and Chicago (Lonzo Ball) are "ongoing."
— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 18, 2021
Adam Silver on Ball/Lowry tampering investigations: “Those investigations are ongoing. No update right now.”
— K.C. Johnson (@KCJHoop) October 18, 2021
While I’m not surprised that Silver had little to say, I am a bit surprised we are still waiting for any kind of update on the matter. The severity of this situation might be heightened, but the NBA had an answer for the Milwaukee Bucks tampering investigation last offseason in a little over one month’s time. Does this elongated investigation mean that it has been harder for the organization to find the information they seek or is there simply more content there to scour through? In other words, does the longer this investigation go on make it more or less likely a major penalty is coming the Chicago Bulls way?
Cody Westerlund of 670 The Score did share back in September that some folks in NBA circles believe the league could yank away a first-round draft pick from the Bulls. Of course, the possibility of losing additional draft capital and receiving a massive monetary fine is also on the table. The NBA could look to make an example out of the Bulls in the hopes of discouraging tampering for good, but perhaps debating whether or not that is the approach to take is what is delaying this process even longer.
For the sake of this organization long-term, I certainly hope the team receives nothing more than a slap on the wrist. While this front office put the team on a more competitive and positive track this summer, losing future assets is only going to make it that much harder to keep things that way down the road.
Watch Silver’s complete media availability below:
LIVE: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver 2021-22 NBA Start of Season Virtual Media Availability. https://t.co/efid5gDGbV
— NBA (@NBA) October 18, 2021