The backhanded compliment the NBA gave Lauri Markkanen with their fine of the Utah Jazz.
The Utah Jazz are one of the worst teams in the NBA and their goal for the rest of the season may be setting themselves up with a Draft lottery pick.
It’s been a rough season for the Utah Jazz. They have the worst record in the Western Conference, are currently on a seven game losing streak and have no chance at making the playoffs.
From bad to worse for Jazz
To make matters worst they just got fined six figures by the NBA for violating the league’s player participation policy. The league explained that the violation comes from the Jazz keeping Lauri Markkanen on the sideline for Utah’s game against the Wizards in Washington back on March 5th.
Markkanen played last night against the Memphis Grizzlies, but hadn’t played since Utah took on the Rockets on the 22nd of February. The Finnish stretch big man is considered a “star player” to the NBA since he made the All-Star Game in 2023.
BREAKING: The NBA has fined the Utah Jazz $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy when the team failed to make Lauri Markkanen available for a game on March 5. pic.twitter.com/UxXMyL1UP4
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) March 12, 2025
The league defines a “star player” as “any player who, in any of the prior three seasons, was named to the All-NBA Team or All-Star Team (plus, at any time in a season after the All-Star Game, the addition of that season’s All-Star Team).”
Trying to hit the Lottery
While being a “star” player should be an honor for anyone in the NBA, it subjects you to abide by the league’s player participation policy. This all stems from players sitting out a little too often in pervious years and the NBA decided to take action to keep it’s best players on the floor.
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Utah stated that Markkanen was being sidelined for injury management on his lower back, but shortly after the $100,000 fine came through on Wednesday afternoon Markkanen was back on the hardwood playing against the Grizzlies in Memphis.
That was the Jazz’s first offense, but if they were to be caught violating the player participation policy again it would result in a $250,000 fine. Utah are 15-50 with exactly a month to go in the regular season, and may be more interested in positioning themselves for a Lottery pick in the NBA Draft than trying to climb up the standings.
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