NBA hands down penalty to Portland
The NBA announced on Wednesday that the Portland Trail Blazers have been fined $100,000 and that assistant general managers Sergi Oliva and Mike Schmitz have each been suspended for two weeks without pay.
According to NBA Communications, the punishment stems from a violation of league rules governing contact with draft-ineligible players. The league said the issue was tied to Portland’s scouting of Yang Hansen in December 2023.
The Blazers said in a statement that they self-reported the violation to the league. A rare example, apparently, of a team volunteering bad news before the league had to do the paperwork for them.
The NBA did not announce any additional discipline beyond the fine and the two suspensions.
