The NBA Board of Governors voted Friday to approve proposed measures to combat tampering and salary cap circumvention beginning next season, commissioner Adam Silver announced.
Silver said the provisions were passed unanimously, opening the door to a more severe selection of punishments for violations, including suspending executives, forfeiting draft picks, and voiding contracts, courtesy of ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
One enforcement method involves carrying out random annual audits on five teams and their communications with other front offices and player agents. Though it was ultimately approved, Silver said the topic was a controversial one during the meeting.
“I understand none of us want people looking into our private affairs," he said, courtesy of Jared Weiss of The Athletic. "A lot of the discussion went into what the scope should be. The league has the authority to promulgate what those procedures will be going forward."
Silver warned he is able to confiscate phones in order to investigate potential infringements, but said he "does not want to take people's devices" in order to do so, according to Tim Bontemps of the Washington Post.
Increasing the maximum fine for a tampering violation from $5 million to $10 million is believed to be another change approved in Friday's meeting. Tampering was a recurring theme during the 2018-19 season, in which multiple staff members received fines for varying infractions. Former Los Angeles Lakers president Magic Johnson and current Clippers head coach Doc Rivers both received $50,000 fines for respective tampering violations.
