NBA Slaps $50K Fine on Bucks for Tampering, Intent to Extend Giannis

The NBA is clearly very serious about its enforced tampering rules.

On Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks were fined $50,000 for violating league policy when team executive John Horst publicly stated his plans to offer franchise superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo a supermax contract. The Bucks will be eligible to offer The Greek Freak, who isn’t set to become a free agent until 2021, the supermax next offseason.

“The answer for now is that we can’t negotiate anything. So Giannis, basically a year from now will be eligible for a supermax extension. At that time, of course, he will be offered a supermax extension,” Horst told Fox Wisconsin earlier in the Summer.

The NBA has chosen to up tampering penalties after multiple teams voiced their concerns to the league office with how the Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard recruitment process underwent.

The Bucks are the first team to received the increased fine for tampering.