Philadelphia 76ers president Daryl Morey fined $50K for James Harden tweet

Dec. 28 (UPI) -- Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations Daryl Morey was fined $50,000 for violating the NBA's anti-tampering rule, the league announced Monday.

The NBA said the fine was in response to Morey's Dec. 20 tweet about Houston Rockets star guard James Harden. The post on social media, which was deleted shortly later, celebrated the one-year anniversary of Harden breaking the Rockets' franchise assists record.

Rockets CEO Tad Brown appeared to respond to Morey's tweet regarding Harden that night, posting an emoji with raised eyebrows and a hand rubbing the chin.

ESPN reported that Morey told league officials it was an inadvertent post from an automated app.

The 76ers hired Morey this past off-season after he stepped down as the Rockets' general manager, a position he held for the past 13 seasons.

Later in the off-season, Harden requested a trade from the Rockets. According to multiple reports, he initially informed Houston that he wanted to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, but he has since expanded his list of preferred landing spots to include the 76ers and other potential suitors.