Report: NBA Proposes Increases in Fines for Tampering, Cap Circumvention

The NBA is reportedly proposing steps to crack down on tampering and salary cap circumvention through the increase of fines.

According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium on Saturday, the NBA sent a memo to its teams regarding the subject and proposed that a "lead team ops member certify annually that it didn’t engage in impermissible free agency talks."

Charania also provided a rundown of the proposed fine increases for violations:

Additionally, Charania reported that the NBA has proposed further enforcing the prohibition of player-to-player tampering, requiring a team representative to certify that they did not offer or provide any improper benefits and randomly auditing five teams annually to ensure no rules were broken.

Another proposed rule would require NBA owners to personally certify that every contract is in compliance with the league's rules, and teams would also have to inform the NBA within 24 hours of a player or agent requesting unauthorized benefits during contract negotiations, per Charania.

In July, ESPN's Zach Lowe and Brian Windhorst reported the NBA was investigating teams for potential tampering violations regarding some of the offseason's earliest free-agent signings.

Charlotte Hornets owner and labor committee head Michael Jordan reportedly suggested during an NBA Board of Governors meeting that the league should consider changing the free-agency rules in the next collective bargaining agreement.

Multiple proposals were reportedly presented, including allowing teams to speak with free agents immediately upon the conclusion of the NBA Finals and completing free agency prior to the NBA draft.

This offseason, the NBA allowed teams to begin speaking with free agents June 30, and the moratorium was lifted on July 6, which was when players could officially sign.

Tampering was a hot-button issue this offseason after some signings leaked very early during the moratorium period. The joining of superstars Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets, and Paul George and Kawhi Leonard with the Los Angeles Clippers led to speculation that players may have been plotting their moves ahead of time.

In an effort to curb those types of situations in the future, the NBA is reportedly looking to hit owners where it hurts the most: in their pockets.