Jimmy Butler didn’t stay long. James Harden was reportedly ‘betrayed’ by Daryl Morey and Ben Simmons was egregious after his breakdown against the Hawks. This has been the luck Joel Embiid has shared with his peers. The lack of a third commander stared at the Sixers as they bounced out against the New York Knicks. It established an urgent need to make upgrades, move pieces around, and get the ‘MVP’ the help he needs to crash over the horizon. The coming offseason provides many candidates, some already linked with the Sixers. Even then, Embiid thought it was necessary to make an additional pitch to one of the Sixers’ rumored targets – Paul George.

His words were innocent. “Hopefully this off-season, we find a way to get better and, you know, add some pieces”. His tone was fairly ordinary for a team that had underperformed. However, his eyes did all the talking. The 30-year-old gave a suspicious side-eye to George when saying the above dialogue on NBA Countdown. Pg-13, a zealous two-way slasher, is a man who could possibly drop his feet in the free agency market.

George has a player option with the Los Angeles Clippers for next season. Like most respected stars, he wishes to renegotiate and sign a longer, more expensive contract. Steve Ballmer, though, seems reluctant to do so. Reports claim the franchise isn’t swooned by the idea of offering the 34-year-old a larger extension than Kawhi. The Sixers can offer him his desired $212 million over four years. But now there’s a new angle coming into play.

So let’s get to the bottom of this. After Joel Embiid’s sneaky stunt today, should he and the Sixers be seen guilty of tampering?

Joel Embiid could be in more trouble than he thinks

When the NBA negotiated its new CBA, there was heightened vigilance given to the tampering rules. According to the NBA, the fines were increased to $10 million if a team was found to be using unfair means and disobeying the league’s policies. They specifically state no NBA player or team can approach a player under contract until the day after the NBA Finals. That was strike one for Embiid.

But can a playful look be enough to justify Joel Embiid’s allying intentions? During the 2019-20 season, Draymond Green was on Inside the NBA talking highly about an on-the-rise Devin Booker. “Get my man out of Phoenix. It’s not good for him, it’s not good for his career. I need my man to go somewhere he can play great basketball all the time, and win,” he told the TNT crew (who could be out of jobs now). When confronted with his tampering motives, Green though did plead guilty when he said “maybe”.

The NBA fined the Golden State Warriors forward $50,000. If judging purely from his words, there isn’t enough that suggests the defensive forward was subtly calling for the Bay Area side to recruit Booker. However, along with this partial admitting and the obvious admiration of D-Book, the fine seemed justified. Maybe Embiid didn’t cross the line that far.

But that’s the thing with repeated offenders. The league doesn’t need ample proof, just enough. The 76ers and Daryl Morey have been the centerpiece of tampering violations. In 2022, when Harden forego money on his contract, the Sixers were able to sign Danuel House Jr. and PJ Tucker. The events seemed too good to be true. Can such coincidences genuinely occur was the question? Silver had to investigate the matter.

Harden’s contract sacrifice wasn’t unethical. However, Morey had approached both Tucker and House Jr. way before the window to do the same opened. The Sixers’ 2023 and 2024 second-round picks were revoked by the NBA after their investigations. This history of wrongdoings doesn’t bode well for Joel Embiid. Considering everything, there is a high chance the perennial MVP contender is subjected to some punishment from Adam Silver.

Maybe it’s a fine nearly identical to their previous offense. Somewhere around $50,000. If the league wants to send a harsher warning statement, they could penalize the Sixers with a higher fine and suspend Embiid for a few games. But that’s the worst-case scenario.

So, if the Sixers are somehow able to lure Paul George, they will look like a different unit. Heading into 35, George isn’t as explosive and abrasive as he once was. That doesn’t mean he is finished. He still averaged 22.6 points and shot 41% from three. George can slot into the 3rd option behind Embiid and Maxey. PG-13 can also operate well without the ball, avoiding issues of sharing it with the two cemented stars in Philly. His fluent maneuvers and counters still trouble defenses. In the postseason, George’s wit and dominance in isolation could solve the Sixers’ crumbling nature, too.

Do you think Joel Embiid and the Philly side have breached the tampering policy?

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, had to say about WNBA sensation Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, this video