Allegations of tampering trail Lillard's move to Giannis’ Bucks

 NBA star Damian Lillard's high-profile trade from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks, where he will team up with Giannis Antetokounmpo, has stirred controversy amid allegations of tampering.

The trade involved multiple players, with Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, and Toumani Camara going to the Blazers, and Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson moving to the Phoenix Suns.

Lillard expressed excitement for this new part of his career after the trade was finalized.

"Excited for my next chapter," he wrote on social media

Jimmy Butler calls on NBA to investigate Bucks for tampering

However, the trade did not sit well with the Miami Heat, who were reportedly interested in acquiring Lillard.

Heat star Jimmy Butler took to social media to call for an NBA investigation into the Bucks for tampering in relation to the Lillard trade.

"NBA, you need to look into the Bucks for tampering, you do," he said.

"You didn't hear it from me, but I heard it from somebody."

His teammate, Tyler Herro, also supported this request.

What is tampering in the NBA?

In the NBA, tampering occurs when individuals associated with a team engage in discussions with a player under contract with another team who is not yet a free agent.

Tampering can result in severe penalties, including indefinite player suspensions and fines.

If a franchise is found guilty of tampering, the responsible executive could face suspension, loss of draft picks and fines of up to 5m dollars.

The most recent case of tampering in the NBA involved the Philadelphia 76ers' dealings with PJ Tucker and Danuel House, which resulted in losing draft picks.