Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The NBA Commissioner was not playing around.
|
Adam Silver has fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000, blasting what he described as overt tanking that “undermines the foundation of NBA competition.” The league announced the penalties on Thursday, targeting lineup decisions that appeared to prioritize draft positioning over winning games.
According to Reuters, the Jazz were punished for conduct detrimental to the league stemming from their Feb 7 game against the Orlando Magic and their Feb 9 matchup with the Miami Heat. In both contests, forwards Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. were pulled for the entire fourth quarter despite the outcomes hanging in the balance. Recently, Craig Carson also said that the NBA should suspend LeBron James.
The league said the results of those games were “thereafter in doubt,” noting the two matchups were decided by a combined seven points. Utah surrendered a 94–87 lead entering the fourth quarter in a 120–117 loss at Orlando. Two days later, the Jazz held on for a narrow 115–111 win over Miami while again sitting their best players in crunch time.
The NBA Commissioner Was Not Tolerating It
Earlier Thursday, the Jazz announced that Jackson, acquired from the Memphis Grizzlies ahead of the trade deadline, will undergo surgery on his left knee and could miss the remainder of the season. The timing of that update followed closely on the heels of the league’s investigation into the team’s player usage.
Indiana was fined $100,000 for violating the NBA’s player participation policy. An independent physician’s review determined that forward Pascal Siakam and two other starters were medically able to play in the Pacers’ Feb. three-game series against Utah, even if only in reduced minutes.
The league added that Indiana could have managed the players’ workloads differently in other games to better comply with the policy. Instead, the decision to sit multiple important contributors in that matchup seems to have raised red flags about competitive intent.
In a sharply worded statement, commissioner Adam Silver made clear the NBA views these situations as more than routine load management. “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,” Silver said. He added that the league is working with its Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures aimed at eliminating such conduct.
The Utah Jazz have struggled through the 2025-26 NBA season with a record of 18–37, placing them near the bottom of the Western Conference standings. They rank near the league’s lowest in winning percentage and have posted inconsistent results, despite averaging about 118.3 points per game offensively. Defensively, Utah has allowed over 126 points per game, one of the highest marks in the league, which explains their sub-400 records.
Indiana’s recent results show more competitive consistency in the Eastern Conference, despite their own fine. In a Feb 4 matchup, the Jazz beat the Pacers 131–122, with Utah’s Isaiah Collier tallying a career-high 22 assists while playing with a depleted roster. Indiana has also been involved in high-scoring affairs against Utah, including a Nov. 11 game where the Jazz scored 152 points in a win over the Pacers.