The Utah Jazz have been handed a $100K fine by the NBA for violating the league’s player participation policy, stemming from an incident where the club failed to make Lauri Markkanen available for its game against the Washington Wizards on March 5th.
Per a league statement “The NBA announced today that the Utah Jazz organization has been fined $100,000 for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy. The violation occurred when the Jazz failed to make Lauri Markkanen, a star player under the Policy, available for the team’s game against the Washington Wizards on March 5 at Capital One Arena, as well as other recent games. The Policy, which was adopted prior to the 2023-24 season, is intended to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season.”
Despite the game being largely inconsequential (Washington sits last in the East at 13-51, while Utah occupies the worst spot in the west at 15-51), evidently the league wanted to send a message that the rule applies to all clubs at all times.
Under the terms of the participation policy, Markkanen is considered a “star player”, and therefore has different guidelines surrounding his participation/inactivity. The 27 year old has been sidelined since February 24th, and has been regularly listed as “questionable” with a lower back injury. He remains an active member of the team, which is the fly in the ointment in terms of his participation in the eyes of the league.
With Washington and Utah in a dead heat for the worst record in the league, and thus the best odds at the number 1 overall pick in next year’s draft, this is likely more so an example of the league attempting to prevent blatant tanking, than it is to protect fans money who may have come to seen a certain player suit up.
Utah is next in action on Friday night against the visiting Toronto Raptors.
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