There has long been speculation that some sporting teams find ways to lose games so that they will earn the top spot when it comes to drafting young talent.

As a result, the NBA established a rule in 2023 that was designed to discourage teams from such practice.

In recent games between the Utah Jazz and the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic, the Jazz held out players Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr in the fourth quarter of the games.

When Jazz coach Will Hardy was asked whether he considered playing the two players he said no because Lauri was on minutes restriction by the medical staff.

However, the NBA did not see things the same way and fined the Jazz $500,000.

The Indiana Pacers were also fined $100,000 after they held out Pascal Siakam and two other starters in a game against the Utah Jazz.

In issuing the fine to the Jazz, the NBA stated, “these players were otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spoke on the matter in a statement saying, “the competition committee and team owners will work to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”

He added, “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.”

Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith responded via social media saying, “agree to disagree… Also, we won the game in Miami and got fined? That makes sense …”

This is not the first time that the NBA has fined the Utah Jazz for holding out a player.  After Markkanen was held out for multiple games last season, the NBA fined the team $100,000.

The Jazz see Markkanen and Jackson, who was acquired in a trade, as “building blocks for the future” as they build a team that can get them back into championship contention.

Jackson will be undergoing surgery for a growth discovered in his knee during a routine physical after the trade.  He will be sidelined for an undisclosed amount of time.

Currently the Jazz have a first-round draft pick for the draft that is “top-eight protected”.  But if they land outside the bottom eight teams, they lose the draft pick.

The current record for the Utah Jazz stands at 18-38.