The dawn of another generation of basketball talents hitting the NBA is fast approaching, and although this year’s class is widely regarded as one of the weakest in league history, we can still expect plenty of fireworks once Adam Silver starts firing off names from his hymn sheet on Wednesday night.
There are a number of high-profile names in this year’s draft, from Frenchmen Zaccharie Risacher and Alexandre Sarr to former USC guard (and LeBron James’ oldest son) Bronny James.
Things are unpredictable at the top, with the Hawks uncertain about who will be their franchise’s savior in 2024.
They’re also unpredictable at the bottom, too, with a pair of sides slated to see their second-round selections vanish into thin air.
Here’s what you need to know about the 76ers and Suns, two teams that lost out on their second-round picks after violating tampering guidelines.
Why are there only 58 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft?
The 76ers and Suns were forced to surrender their second-round selections after being found to have tampered during free-agency negotiations in 2022 and 2023, respectively.
Philadelphia was docked its pick after the NBA determined the Sixers violated tampering protocols in their pursuit of Danuel House Jr. and P.J. Tucker in the summer of 2022. The league revealed that Philly engaged in free agency talks with Tucker and House prior to the NBA’s agreed-upon start date.
It could’ve been much worse for the 76ers, in retrospect. The bigger charge at the time revolved around the suggestion that Philadelphia engaged in impropriety when attempting to woo then-free agent guard James Harden, who opted to turn down a $47.4 million player option with the franchise. He proceeded to sign a two-year, $68.6 million extension with Philadelphia that offseason.
In the end, the NBA exonerated the 76ers for their attempts at landing Harden (again), confirming they did not violate league rules during their negotiation with Harden.
House and Tucker’s negotiation, meanwhile, was deemed illicit, prompting the league to take away Philly’s picks in the 2023 and 2024 draft.
Phoenix, meanwhile, saw its second-rounder turn to dust after the league ruled that the Suns made contact with former forward Drew Eubanks before the official start of NBA free agency.
It’s unclear quite how the Suns’ negotiation with Eubanks differed from that of other sides. Teams routinely send contract information to their suitors prior to the official start of free agency. Whatever Phoenix did, it was deemed as a no-no by the league office.