The Suns violated league rules related to the timing of free agency discussions and have been forced to forfeit a 2024 second-round pick, the NBA announced today in a press release (Twitter link).
As we relayed earlier today, the league was investigating possible early contact with free agent Drew Eubanks, the former Portland center who signed a two-year, minimum-salary contract with Phoenix in July. According to today’s announcement, the league did find that the Suns engaged in discussions involving Eubanks before free agency began.
Eubanks’ agreement with Phoenix was reported by Shams Charania of The Athletic at 5:05 pm Central time on June 30, five minutes after free agency officially opened.
The Suns issued the following statement (via Twitter) in response to the NBA’s ruling:
“We are disappointed with the results of the NBA investigation. If there was a violation, it was inadvertent. We are focused on complying with league rules and competing at the highest level every year. With that being said, we accept the penalty from the league and are focused on looking forward to this season.”
The Suns have traded away all of their own future second-round selections for the next seven years (picks in 2031 and beyond aren’t yet moveable), so they’ll surrender Denver’s 2024 second-rounder, which they acquired from Orlando in July.
Phoenix’s will receive San Antonio’s second-round pick in 2024 if it falls between Nos. 50-54. Otherwise, the club won’t have a second-rounder until 2026, when it will receive either the Pistons’, Bucks’, or Magic’s pick (whichever is least favorable). The Suns have also traded away either their first-round pick or swap rights on their first-round pick for the next seven drafts.
This is the fourth consecutive year that at least one team has had a second-round selection rescinded for free agency gun-jumping. The NBA penalized the Bucks in 2020 (for Bogdan Bogdanovic), the Heat and Bulls in 2021 (for Kyle Lowry and Lonzo Ball, respectively), and the Sixers and Knicks in 2022.
Philadelphia was forced to forfeit two future second-round selections for early contact with both P.J. Tucker and Danuel House, while New York gave up a single pick for talking to Jalen Brunson before free agency began.
That’ll teach em
What if they hadn’t acquired that pick?
Did they acquire that pick for this very reason?
Why risk losing anything for a league minimum signing?
If they had zero second-round picks for the next seven years, I imagine there would’ve been three options:
1. Dock them a first-round pick (probably would’ve been considered too harsh compared to past punishments)
2. Fine them (probably viewed as not harsh enough)
3. Make them forfeit their 2031 second-rounder, which isn’t tradable yet and would’ve been the next one they controlled (this would’ve been the most likely outcome)
So what exactly did the Suns do differently than any number of teams that Shams or Woj reported on agreements within the first hour of FA didn’t do? I’m curious where exactly this line in the sand is for the league office.
Yeah, as I mentioned in my earlier post, it’s unclear why the league chose to focus on Eubanks specifically.
Maybe they looked into a few deals that were reported in the first few minutes of free agency and only found a smoking gun with Eubanks. Maybe they were tipped off somehow about that case. Not sure.
Pointless punishment, typically. The Suns not controlling any of their picks until the heat death of the universe is the only reason this might matter in any way.
How do you inadvertently contact a free agent before the signing period? Butt dial his agent?
The Sun’s statement shows how disingenuous PR stuff can be – claiming “if there was a violation, it was inadvertent”. First, there was a violation – just admit it. Second, it wasn’t inadvertent, because everyone knows when the communication window opens up, and there is no way they could have done the deal within it.
Ball-less big business, as usual.
Suns can claim ignorance all they want but c’mon. I’m sure most teams have back channel conversations with players prior to the window opening, but you have to be real dumb to get caught.
Gun jumping huh what’s that code for
They should have to give up there pick to another team. Maybe Portland since Eubanks was last with them. All forfeiting the pick does is penalize a draft eligible kid from attaining his dream
Does it? There are still the same number of roster spots. Denver’s 2nd rounder is going to be, like, the last person picked and first to be waived.
When was the last time someone was drafted and immediately waived in their first season? This rarely happens. Lasts years last pick in the draft (Chris Livingston) signed with the Bucks on a 4 year contract and is on their active roster. I don’t know what picture you’re trying to paint here.
These kids all have dreams of making it in the NBA and being drafted is a clearer pathway to making that happen than not being drafted. Having picks being forfeited creates less opportunities for players trying to make the league and it only hurts the players, not the team.
With this level of punishment, OKC, NOLA, etc all those teams with a boatload of picks, should just tamper away.
another kids dream of being drafted taken away. so stupid. do something else.
This is the NBA where the Wizards were once the Bullets. It shouldn’t be using terms like “gun jumping” as it offends and scares little me.