NBA Hits Utah Jazz With $100K Fine Over Participation Rule Breach

The Utah Jazz have been hit with a hefty fine by the NBA.

The NBA has fined the Jazz $100,000 for violating the Player Participating Policy when the team failed to make Lauri Markkanen available for a game on March 5.

ESPN's Shams Charania shared via X.

"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 teams 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," stated NBA Communications.

The Jazz currently sit with a 15-50 record in the loaded Western Conference.

Utah faced the Washington Wizards on March 5 on the road. They lost that game by three points, 125-122. If Markkanen were in the game, the Jazz would have likely come away with the win. However, they suffered their 47th loss of the season at the time and were in the midst of a six-game losing streak prior to their game on March 12 against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Markkanen was ruled out with a back injury against the Wizards. It was his sixth consecutive missed game at the time. The 27-year-old has missed the last nine games, but will play against the Grizzlies on Wednesday.

As ESPN's Boby Marks noted, the NBA can penalize a club for sitting out star players who have either not played in a national game, sat out on a road game at a team, been shut down, or nearly shut downlong-termm while ostensibly healthy, or undergone other unusual resting strategies.

The seven-footer from Finland has been solid for the Jazz this season. Markkanen is averaging 19.3 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 0.8 steals.

The Jazz are the only team that has been eliminated from postseason consideration as of Wednesday.

The Wizards have the worst record in the league, 13-51, as of Wednesday. Both the Jazz and Wizards are battling to secure the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA Draft.

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