Pacers Reportedly Filing Charges Against Lakers for Tampering with Paul George

The Indiana Pacers have reportedly filed charges against the Los Angeles Lakers for tampering with Paul George before the All-Star was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Per NBA journalist Peter Vecsey, Pacers owner Herb Simon filed the charges against the Lakers, and the NBA hired an independent law firm to investigate the matter. 

It's unclear exactly what the Lakers did that the Pacers might have a case against. Lakers president Magic Johnson did an interview on Live with Jimmy Kimmel in April that raised some eyebrows when he discussed hypothetically meeting George on a vacation and not being able to say the team wants to add him:

Alex Kennedy of Hoops Hype did note tampering is one of those things that is "tough to prove." Vecsey wrote the Lakers could lose draft picks or even be forbidden from signing George as a free agent if they are found guilty. 

Tampering is rare in the NBA, though it has happened. The Atlanta Hawks, Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings were all fined for tampering in 2013 after the league uncovered statements, emails and articles directly connected to the teams with information about players who were under contract somewhere else at the time. 

George was traded to the Thunder on July 6. The 27-year-old played the first seven years of his career with the Pacers.