It turns out ya can't really say ANYTHING about a player without breaking the NBA's anti-tampering rules ... 'cause Warriors owner Joe Lacob just got hit with a $50k fine this week -- for basically saying he's not interested in landing Ben Simmons.
The Warriors have been named as one of the potential landing spots for the 25-year-old ... after the struggling Philadelphia 76ers star demanded a trade this offseason.
Lacob was asked about the team's potential interest in Simmons during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle this week .