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Draymond Green says Devin Booker needs to get out of Phoenix, is immediately accused of tampering

chris cwik
Staff writer
·2 min read

Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green may want to set aside a few bucks for a tampering charge that could come his way in the near future. Green may have said too much while talking about Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker on “Inside the NBA” on Friday.

Green was asked about the Suns’ success in the bubble. The team has gone 4-0 since the season restarted, and is pushing for a surprising playoff spot in the West. Booker has been a major part of that, averaging 28 points and 6.5 assists during those games.

Green spoke highly of Booker’s play before shifting the conversation, saying Booker needs to leave Phoenix so he can win games.

Did Draymond Green tamper when talking about Devin Booker?

Those comments wouldn’t draw attention if made by a full-time analyst, but Green is still an active player. Because of that, Green’s comments could be interpreted as tampering. Ernie Johnson seemed to realize that, and immediately asked Green, “Are you tampering?” Green — who should absolutely deny the charge if he doesn’t want to be fined — responded by saying “maybe.”

Will the NBA take action against Draymond Green?

It’s unclear whether the NBA will actually punish Green for his comments. In recent seasons, the league has reserved tampering charges for NBA executives. In 2018, the NBA fined the Los Angeles Lakers $50,000 after Magic Johnson — the team’s president of basketball operations at the time — said complementary things about Giannis Antetokounmpo. In a bizarre twist, the NBA also fined the Milwaukee Bucks for tampering with Antetokounmpo in 2019 after team GM Jon Horst said the Bucks would offer Antetokounmpo a max contract.

The Lakers also drew ire after LeBron James made comments about playing with Anthony Davis, but the league did not fine the team for those comments. Instead, the NBA sent an anti-tampering memo to every team.

The league will have to decide what approach it wants to take with Green.

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