Draymond Green accused of tampering after asking Devin Booker to leave Suns on National TV

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green recently appeared on Inside the NBA on TNT, only to be accused of tampering after he called for Devin Booker to "get out" of Phoenix Suns. Green was asked about the Suns' success at the NBA bubble, which Booker's performance has been a major part of. The team is aiming to secure a playoffs spot and is currently the only team with a 4-0 aggregate.

Also read | Draymond Green lauds NBA 'GOAT' LeBron James, wants him to 'run for US President someday'

Draymond Green tampering: Warriors star wants Devin Booker to get out Phoenix Suns

When asked about the Suns' performance, Draymond Green praised Devin Booker, who is averaging 28 points and 6.5 assists inside the bubble. However, the conversation shifted to Booker needing to win games, for which the Warriors said Booker will need to get out of Phoenix. While an analyst's comments are acceptable, Green is an active NBA player.

Due to that, Green speaking of Booker leaving the Suns could be considered as tampering. Ernie Johnson immediately asked Green if he was tampering, who responded with a 'maybe'. The 30-year-old Warriors star openly stated that staying with the Suns is not good for Booker's career and he wants him to go "somewhere he can play great basketball all the time and win because he's that type of player."

Also read | Draymond Green questions Toronto Raptors decision to write Black Lives Matter on team bus

Will Draymond Green tampering comments for Devin Booker be fined by the league?

As of now, the league is yet to make a statement on Green's comments. The league has previously charged NBA executives for tampering. In 2018, the Los Angeles Lakers were fined $50,000 after Magic Johnson has made some comments on Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. At the time, Johnson was the team's president of basketball operations.

Coincidentally, the Bucks were also fined a year later after general manager Jon Horst stated that the Bucks would be offering Giannis a max contract. The Lakers have also been accused of tampering when LeBron James openly spoke about wanting to play with Anthony Davis, who was then a part of New Orleans Pelicans. Instead of fining the Lakers, the league sent out one anti-tampering memo to all 30 teams.

Also read | What happened to Inside the NBA on TNT? Fans want Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith Jr. back, NBA on TNT news

Booker is currently about to complete the first season of his five-year, $158 million contract extension with the Suns. Even if a trade was suggested, a Devin Booker trade to the Warriors is highly unlikely. With Andrew Wigging on their roster, the team won't be able to afford Booker's contract.

To be able to fit Booker's salary, they will have to trade Wiggings. Along with that, with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson expected to return during the 2020-21 season, another guard might not be an ideal addition for the team. The Warriors recently traded D'Angelo Russell, who has similar usage rates to Booker. (Booker – 29.7 Usage Percentage, Russell – 29.5 Usage Percentage). The usage rate or percentage is the estimate of the percentage of team plays a player uses when he is on the court. However, irrespective of Green's intentions, his comments have been considered as tampering. 

Also read | Draymond Green compares Warriors' performance without Curry to Jordan without Pippen

(Image source: NBA official site)