In a decisive move against tanking in the NBA, the league has levied hefty fines against the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for benching key players in games they had a reasonable chance of winning.

The Utah Jazz received a substantial $500,000 fine for “conduct detrimental to the league” during two games earlier this month. In matchups against the Orlando Magic on February 7 and the Miami Heat on February 9, Jazz head coach Will Hardy made the controversial decision to bench crucial forwards Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr.

The NBA stated that these players “were otherwise able to continue to play, and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt,” suggesting that the decision to pull them was questionable.

Both the Indiana Pacers, with a 15-40 record, and the Jazz, standing at 18-37, are poised to secure high selections in the upcoming NBA Draft lottery. This year’s draft class in June is anticipated to be particularly strong.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized the league’s stance, saying, “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.” He added that the league is working alongside the Competition Committee and Board of Governors to introduce additional measures to eliminate such conduct.

Jaren Jackson Jr. was benched late in two recent games, which the NBA took issue with 

Commissioner Adam Silver said this behavior ‘undermines the foundation of NBA competition’

The NBA has long frowned upon teams suspected of deliberately losing to secure better draft positions. In an effort to curb this, the league introduced a player participation policy in September 2023, aiming to discourage teams from intentionally underperforming.

The Jazz appeared to be trying to work around that policy earlier this month by benching Jackson and Markkanen in the fourth quarter of close games. The Magic rallied from 17 points down to win 120-117, but the Jazz defeated the Heat 115-111.

Coach Will Hardy was asked after the game at Miami whether he considered playing Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth quarter.

‘I wasn’t,’ Hardy said succinctly.

Tanking, as it is known in American sports, involves teams intentionally losing games to improve their position in each league’s respective first-year player draft.

Although the NBA, much like Major League Baseball and the NHL, uses a lottery to randomize draft order, those lotteries are weighted by record, with the worst teams having the best odds at the top picks.

Coach Will Hardy was asked after the game at Miami whether he considered playing Markkanen and Jackson in the fourth quarter. ‘I wasn’t,’ Hardy said succinctly 

The NBA fined Utah $100,000 last season after the Jazz rested Markkanen in multiple games.

He and the recently-acquired Jackson are the building blocks for the Jazz to try to get back into contention. They traded with Memphis on Feb. 3 for the two-time All-Star and 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.

Jackson, however, will be out for the foreseeable future. He will undergo surgery over the NBA all-star break to remove a growth from his left knee, discovered by an MRI in a physical following the trade. Jackson averaged 22.3 points in 24 minutes per game after joining the Jazz.

Utah has prioritized player development with younger players on its roster at the expense of chasing wins. The front office is motivated to hold onto a first-round pick in this year’s draft that is top-eight protected. Falling outside the bottom eight in the standings means Utah would lose that pick to Oklahoma City.

A number of teams, including the Jazz, would seem to have a great interest in securing a high selection for this year’s draft.

AJ Dybantsa #3 of the Brigham Young Cougars talks with his father Anicet Dybantsa as they watch the game between the Utah Jazz and the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday 

BYU’s AJ Dybantsa (pictured) is considered a likely top-three and potentially franchise-changing pick along with Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson

One of those top prospects plays just south of Salt Lake. BYU’s AJ Dybantsa is considered a likely top-three and potentially franchise-changing pick along with Duke’s Cameron Boozer and Kansas’ Darryn Peterson.

But it’s also a deep draft where simply getting into the lottery could mean still getting a shot at a difference-making player.

The Jazz, 18-37 entering Thursday night’s game against Portland, will miss the postseason for the fourth year in a row. This comes after a six-year stretch in which the Jazz made the playoffs each season.

Under the direction of CEO Danny Ainge and his son and team president, Austin, the Jazz ultimately are trying to return to the glory days when they didn’t just make the playoffs. The John Stockton-Karl Malone teams in 1990s were regular championship contenders, making the NBA Finals in 1997 and 1998.