NBA Tanking: Pyrrhic fines for Jazz and Pacers for benching players

The NBA announced financial sanctions against Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers on Thursday for violating the player participation policy, as both franchises were found to have sat healthy players in recent games. Utah was fined $500,000, while Indiana received a penalty of $100,000.

Commissioner Adam Silver was firm in the official statement. "Clear behaviors like this, prioritizing draft position over winning games, undermine the foundations of competition in the NBA, and we will respond accordingly to any action that compromises the integrity of our matches," he stated. He also mentioned that the league is working with the Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement new measures to eradicate these practices.

The Utah Case

The sanction against the Jazz stems from what happened in the games against the Orlando Magic (February 7, loss 120-117) and the Miami Heat (February 9, win 115-111). According to the league, Utah left Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the bench during the last quarter despite both being able to continue playing with the game still in contention.

After the game in Miami, coach Will Hardy was asked about the possibility of fielding his main players in the decisive stretch. "I wasn't considering it," he responded succinctly.

Later, Hardy explained that he was following the team's medical recommendations. Regarding Markkanen, he stated that he was under a minutes restriction. As for Jackson, his limitation is due to a knee protrusion detected on February 3. The team announced that the power forward will undergo surgery after the All-Star break, ending his season.

The franchise owner, Ryan Smith, reacted on social media showing his disagreement with the league's decision, emphasizing that Utah won the Miami game despite the fine.

Utah had already been fined $100,000 last season for resting Markkanen in several games.

Indiana Also Under Scrutiny

In the case of the Pacers, the NBA determined that the team violated the regulations on February 3, precisely in a game against Utah. The investigation concluded that Pascal Siakam and two other starters who did not participate could have played under the established medical standards, even if with reduced minutes. Alternatively, the franchise could have managed their rest in other games to better comply with the rules.

The Context: The 2026 Draft

The player participation policy was introduced in September 2023 with the aim of discouraging tanking, intentionally losing to improve draft lottery odds. This season, surveillance is higher due to the anticipation surrounding the 2026 class, considered one of the strongest in recent years.

Among the top prospects for the number one pick are Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, and Cameron Boozer.

The Pacers (15-40) and Jazz (18-38) are among the league's six worst records, intensifying scrutiny on their sporting decisions. For Utah, the franchise also has at stake the "top-8" protection of their first-round pick: if they finish outside the eight worst records, the pick will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Meanwhile, the league made it clear that they will increase monitoring to preserve the competitiveness and credibility of the championship.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Tanking NBA: Multas pírricas para Jazz y Pacers por sentar jugadores