NBA Fines Utah Jazz $500,000 for Sitting Markkanen and Jackson Jr.

The league penalized the Jazz for resting their top players in the fourth quarter of recent games.

Published on Feb. 13, 2026

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. ›

The NBA has fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 for "conduct detrimental to the league" after the team sat Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the fourth quarter of recent games against the Miami Heat and Orlando Magic. The league said the Jazz's actions "undermined the foundation of NBA competition" by prioritizing draft position over winning.

Why it matters

The fine highlights the NBA's efforts to maintain competitive integrity and discourage teams from intentionally tanking or resting healthy players late in games. The Jazz's actions were seen as an attempt to improve their draft lottery odds, which the league views as unacceptable behavior.

The details

The Jazz played both Markkanen and Jackson Jr. for 25 minutes in the games against the Heat and Magic, but sat them down before the fourth quarter. The Jazz ended up winning the game against the Heat, 115-111. Jazz Governor Ryan Smith disagreed with the fine, tweeting "we won the game in Miami and got fined? That makes sense..."

  • The incidents occurred in the Jazz's games against the Miami Heat on February 9, 2026 and the Orlando Magic on February 7, 2026.
  • The NBA announced the $500,000 fine on February 13, 2026.

The players

Lauri Markkanen

A starting forward for the Utah Jazz.

Jaren Jackson Jr.

A starting forward for the Utah Jazz.

Ryan Smith

The governor of the Utah Jazz.

Got photos? Submit your photos here. ›

What they’re saying

“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. Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”

— Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner (NBA)

“🙄 agree to disagree … Also, we won the game in Miami and got fined? That makes sense …”

— Ryan Smith, Utah Jazz Governor (X)

What’s next

The NBA has indicated it will be closely monitoring the Jazz's rotation decisions for the remainder of the season to ensure they are not prioritizing draft position over winning.

The takeaway

This fine underscores the NBA's commitment to maintaining competitive integrity and discouraging teams from intentionally tanking or resting healthy players late in games. It serves as a warning to all teams that the league will not tolerate actions that undermine the foundation of NBA competition.