Tankers beware: Jazz fined
$500,000, Pacers $100,000 by NBA for player participation policy breach
[February 13, 2026]
By MARK ANDERSON
Utah appeared to find a loophole in the NBA's player participation
policy, but the league sent a message Thursday by hitting the Jazz
with a $500,000 fine.
The NBA also docked the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for holding out
Pascal Siakam and two other starters in a Feb. 3 game against the
Jazz.
The policy was put in place in September 2023 to try to discourage
clubs from purposely losing in order to improve their chances with
the draft lottery. This year's draft is considered the strongest in
several years, possibly incentivizing clubs like the Jazz to
position themselves for a high pick.
The Jazz did not play stars Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in
the fourth quarter of recent close games. Both played three quarters
in recent road games against Miami and Orlando. The Magic rallied
from 17 points down to win 120-117, but the Jazz defeated the Heat
115-111.
Jazz 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.
Hardy said Thursday night after a loss to Portland that he was
following the advice of the team’s medical staff.
“I sat Lauri because he was on a minutes restriction,” he said. “So
if our medical team puts a minutes restriction on Lauri, I’ll try to
keep Lauri healthy.”
In fining the Jazz said, the NBA said in its release “these players
were otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the
games were thereafter in doubt.”
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement the competition
committee and team owners will work "to implement further measures
to root out this type of conduct.”
“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.
Silver likely will further address the topic when he meets with the
media Saturday during All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.
“Agree to disagree ...,” Jazz owner Ryan Smith posted on social
media. “Also, we won the game in Miami and got fined? That makes
sense ...”
The NBA fined Utah $100,000 last season after the Jazz rested
Markkanen in multiple games.
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Utah Jazz center Jaren Jackson Jr. (20) is defended by Orlando Magic
forward Tristan da Silva, left, during the first half of an NBA
basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026, in Orlando, Fla. (AP
Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
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.
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.
___
Freelance writer John Coon in Salt Lake City contributed to this
report.
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