The Los Angeles Lakers have found themselves in some hot water months removed from the Indiana Pacers' trade of Paul George.

The NBA confirmed that an investigation is underway into any potential tampering that occurred between the Lakers' front office and former Pacers star player George, at Indiana's request. That's a big allegation from the Pacers, and one the Lakers are denying.

Rumors that George already had plans in mind to join the Lakers once he becomes a free agent in 2018 swirled leading up to the Pacers trading him to the Oklahoma City Thunder, diminishing his value on the trade market. That ultimately led to Indiana accepting a package of Victor Oladipo and Domantas Sabonis, well under the value of George. 

The Pacers were in a tight spot because of how rampant rumors of George returning home to Los Angeles to restore the Lakers' place in the NBA had spread. Teams were less-inclined to include premium assets in fear of Paul making his way to the Lakers in the summer of 2018.

It's unclear what evidence the Pacers may feel exists, though Bobby Marks of ESPN notes Indiana wants the NBA to investigate whether George had a phone conversation with Lakers president of basketball operations Magic Johnson. 

Johnson's comments on George during an interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live will also likely be put under a microscope by the NBA:

If found guilty, the Lakers could be fined up to $5 million, lose draft picks, face suspensions against executives and be restricted from signing George. 

The Lakers have since released a statement, indicating they are "cooperating fully" with the NBA's investigation with the intention of proving their innocence "as soon as possible." Whether something comes to light that can be proven as tampering will be a challenge for the NBA.

The league is doing its due diligence, challenged to show it has a strong process in place to govern these types of situations. Teams are becoming more cautious of players plotting out their careers through back channels. The rise of the super team and players joining forces has created fear of collusion within front offices. 

The Pacers want the league to take a good, hard look at a situation that left a dent in the franchise's future. What they find may be nothing, but it's a delicate situation for all involved. A round of sanctions against the Lakers could be painful for a franchise seemingly on the rise, especially if it amounts to them being unable to sign George or losing draft picks.