Rockets Owner Fined for Talking Russell Westbrook Trade Before it Became Official

Sometimes running your mouth can cost you.

Tilman Fertitta, who bought the Houston Rockets from Leslie Alexander for $2.2 billion less than two years ago, might not know all the NBA rules, including the one which say he’s not allowed to talk about players that his team may have acquired via trade.

Fertitta made that mistake last week when he spoke about being “excited” to have Russell Westbrook on the Rockets, and how Chris Paul was “gonna be missed”.

He made these comments only a few hours after ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the deal.

#Rockets owner @TilmanJFertitta on his franchise landing Russell Westbrook in a deal that sends Chris Paul to OKC: pic.twitter.com/LDYbeUxZpB

— Mark Berman (@MarkBermanFox26) July 12, 2019

Marc Stein of the New York Times is reporting that the league has issued the Rockets a $25,000 fine for the remarks.

The Rockets were fined $25,000 over the weekend, @NYTSports has learned, for public statements made by owner Tilman Fertitta before the Russell Westbrook-to-Houston trade was officially completed

— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) July 15, 2019