The NBA has an inside information problem. How it's handled. How it's possibly mishandled. How it's potentially misused.

The key to ensuring that inside information isn't abused is limiting it. As Saturday's Game 7 in the 76ers-Celtics playoff series approached, it's clear that Boston was carrying around a key piece of inside information.

Jayson Tatum, who made an early exit from Game 6 and didn't return after the game morphed into a blowout, wasn't going to play in the final game.

On Saturday afternoon, roughly six hours before the game started, the Celtics added Tatum to the injury report, with a knee injury. And then he didn't play at all.

After Game 6, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters that Tatum hadn't been injured when he left in the second half. "He just went to the back and just got stretched, got some treatment," Mazulla said. "That was about it."

Tatum also downplayed the situation. "My leg just was a little stiff when I came out in the third quarter," Tatum said. "But, you know, just kind of assessing the moment, like, the game was a little out of reach."

Mazzulla again downplayed the possibility of Tatum being injured when he spoke to reporters on Friday. By Saturday, Tatum was listed as questionable with a knee injury.

Whether the Celtics complied with the NBA's rules is one thing. If they didn't, that's for the NBA to address. If they did, the NBA has a different issue.

The rules, if the Celtics complied with them, demonstrate the existence of significant, and valuable, inside information. When did the Celtics know Tatum wouldn't play? When did they know there was a good chance he wouldn't play?

Who knew? And what did they do with that information?

Just last week, former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded guilty to charges arising directly from his mishandling of inside information. Surely, others have done the same thing, especially since the moment sports betting became normalized and legalized.

And so, at a time when the NBA is increasingly concerned about the impact of tanking on the integrity of the game, the NBA should be taking a closer look at ways to minimize the information that isn't available to the public. The manner in which the Celtics handled Tatum's injury reconfirms that the effort to keep the opponent in the dark keeps the public in the dark.

Which could allow someone who knows the truth to get in the money.

The NFL should be paying close attention. To date, the NFL has not had a major gambling scandal. If the NFL isn't careful, it's inevitable.

It could be inevitable anyway.