The NBA recently opened an investigation on the sign-and-trade deals of Lonzo Ball with the Chicago Bulls and Kyle Lowry with the Miami Heat for possible violations. After all, given that free agency opened at 6 p.m. on August 2 and the deals were quickly struck, it raised suspicions that there could be tampering involved in both situations.

However, according to Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Miami could be safe from any violation considering that ” several mitigating factors would appear to stand in the Heat’s favor.”

As the report noted, the sign-and-trade deals that Chicago and Miami made for Ball and Lowry, respectively, differ because the Heat have previously engaged in trade talks with the Toronto Raptors for Kyle Lowry. To recall, the South Beach franchise tried to acquire the veteran guard at the 2021 trade deadline, though to no avail.