NHL Fines Utah Jazz for Violating Player Participation Policy
By: Tim Bontemps & Brian Windhorst | Published on: March 14, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
On Wednesday, the NBA imposed a $100,000 penalty on the Utah Jazz for not adhering to the league’s player participation regulations. This violation stemmed from their decision to bench star player Lauri Markkanen during a recent game in Washington, as well as in other past games.
Markkanen, who had been sidelined for nine consecutive games due to various injuries, was deemed fit to play by the league, prompting accusations against the Jazz of blatant tanking. This approach seemed effective, with the Jazz suffering defeats in eight out of the nine games.
Following the imposition of the fine, the Jazz updated their injury report, listing Markkanen as available for that night’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, but they lost that matchup as well.
Meanwhile, in another noteworthy game in Toronto, the Raptors fielded a lineup consisting of two rookies, a two-way player, and a player on a 10-day contract, managing to defeat the Philadelphia 76ers, despite the latter having over $140 million sitting on the inactive list. This victory propelled Toronto ahead of Philadelphia in overall standings, but Philadelphia found itself tied for fifth place in the NBA draft lottery standings, critical for a team that requires a top-six draft pick.
Tanking Teams and Draft Prospects
As one league executive observed, “Currently, there are nine teams engaged in tanking.” With the forthcoming draft anticipated to feature potentially more franchise-altering players than the current year, the same executive noted it is likely a year from now multiple teams will still be in the tanking strategy.
The article goes on to delve into the strategies of several teams, particularly focusing on the top seven with the best odds for the No. 1 overall pick as determined by ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI). Upcoming assessments aim to provide insight into how these franchises plan to advance leading up to the May lottery and June draft.
