LOS ANGELES — The NBA has cracked down on “tanking,” fining the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for actions the league deemed detrimental to competition. The penalties come amid scrutiny of struggling teams suspected of prioritizing draft position over winning.
The Jazz were hit with a $500,000 fine for games against the Orlando Magic on February 7 and the Miami Heat on February 9. In both contests, the team removed star players Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. before the fourth quarter, even though they were able to continue playing, leaving the outcomes of the games in doubt.
The Pacers were fined $100,000 for violating the player participation policy during a February 3 game against the Jazz. An NBA investigation, which included a review by an independent physician, concluded that Pascal Siakam and two other starters could have played under the league’s medical standards, including via reduced minutes, or could have been rested in other games to maintain compliance.
The NBA draft system rewards teams that finish lower in the standings with better chances to secure top prospects, which has historically fueled “tanking” — teams intentionally underperforming to improve draft positioning.
At the time of the Miami game, the Jazz were 13th in the Western Conference and eight games out of the play-in, leading by three points heading into the fourth quarter and dominating in the paint. Coach Will Hardy’s decision to bench key players mirrored a similar move in the Orlando game two days earlier.
“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said.
Silver added that the league’s Competition Committee and Board of Governors are exploring additional measures to prevent such conduct in the future.
