NBA Tanking Under Fire: Jazz and Pacers Fined for Integrity Violations

The NBA has handed down significant sanctions to two of the season’s struggling teams: the Utah Jazz have been fined $500,000, while the Indiana Pacers must pay $100,000.

The reasoning is clear: both franchises rested healthy players in recent games, in what the league defines as unacceptable conduct that undermines the integrity of the game.

Commissioner Adam Silver did not mince words:

Actions like this, which prioritize draft positioning over winning, undermine the foundation of NBA competition. We will respond decisively to any conduct that compromises the integrity of our games.

Adam Silver

The league also announced it will work with the Competition Committee and the Board of Governors to introduce additional measures aimed at preventing similar behavior.

The Utah Jazz case

The fine for the Jazz stems from games against the Orlando Magic (Feb. 7, 120-117 loss) and the Miami Heat (Feb. 9, 115-111 win). On both occasions, the team kept Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. on the bench during the fourth quarter, despite being healthy and with the outcomes still in doubt.

Head coach Will Hardy commented:

I followed the advice of our medical staff. I sat Lauri because he was on a minutes restriction. Jackson, on the other hand, has a knee issue and will undergo surgery after the All-Star break.

Will Hardy

Jackson, acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies on Feb. 3, will undergo surgery to address a knee growth, ending his season. Utah is building around young cornerstones Markkanen and Jackson to return to competitiveness, but the management of their minutes was interpreted by the NBA as an attempt to protect draft position.

Jazz owner Ryan Smith reacted on social media:

Agree to disagree … we win in Miami and get fined? Makes sense…

Ryan Smith

The Indiana Pacers case

For the Indiana Pacers, the violation concerns the Feb. 3 game against the Jazz. The NBA’s investigation found that Pascal Siakam and two other starters could have played, even in limited minutes, without violating medical standards under the Policy. The team could have managed absences better in other games to remain compliant.

The Player Participation Policy, introduced in September 2023, aims to discourage teams from intentionally losing to improve draft lottery odds. This season, scrutiny is heightened: the 2026 draft class is considered one of the strongest in recent years, featuring potential top picks such as Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer.

The Jazz (18-38) and Pacers (15-40) are among the teams with the worst records this season. The NBA had already fined Utah $100,000 last season for resting Markkanen in multiple games.

With this strategy, Utah is attempting to preserve a top-8 protected first-round pick: falling out of the bottom group would mean conveying it to Oklahoma City.