(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The start of the 2023-24 NBA season was a successful one for the Phoenix Suns as they were able to knock off the Golden State Warriors on opening night.
Phoenix was cruising after the first half as they had a 15-point lead, but Golden State rallied in the third quarter to take back the lead.
However, Devin Booker and Kevin Durant came up clutch for the Suns in the fourth quarter as they were able to help the team outscore the Warriors, 28-18, and steal the win.
Phoenix wasn’t at full strength as they decided to hold Bradley Beal out as he deals with a nagging back injury, but they proved they still had enough on the roster to compete with a tough Golden State squad.
During the offseason, the Suns were able to land several quality role players on veteran minimum contracts to round out the team behind their three stars.
However, it seems like the NBA was able to find evidence that they tampered with Drew Eubanks in free agency and are being docked a draft pick for it, per Marc Stein via NBACentral.
The NBA is taking away a 2nd-round pick from the Suns for tampering with Drew Eubanks, per @TheSteinLine pic.twitter.com/9uJzf04hCO
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) October 25, 2023
The punishment is in line with what the league office has doled out for previous violations of tampering rules, though it still feels like a slap on the wrist for a team like the Suns that has little use for draft picks.
Eubanks was an underrated pickup for Phoenix as he is a quality big off the bench who can rebound and pass.
Although the Suns need picks to refresh the cupboard in the future, they’ll gladly trade those for players that can help them win now.
The post NBA Reportedly Punishing Suns Over Tampering Findings appeared first on The Cold Wire.