With the great Tankathon of ’26 at Full Tilt, the NBA goes after two of the worst offenders
The 2025-26 NBA season has been remarkable in one very unique way. The great race for the bottom began almost as soon as the season began and continued at full tilt even before the All-Star Game, with even more teams joining the race to the top of the Draft Lottery standings as the league’s trade deadline came and went.
As national media folks began to even voice somewhat shock at just how blatant the total lack of competitiveness by half the league was (by the choice by more than a few front offices), the NBA acted Thursday and fined two of the biggest offenders: the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers.
NBA FINES UTAH JAZZ AND INDIANA PACERS
NEW YORK, Feb. 12, 2026 – The NBA announced today that it has fined two teams related to the management of their rosters for recent games.
The Utah Jazz organization has been fined $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league related to the team’s games against the Orlando Magic on Feb. 7 and the Miami Heat on Feb. 9. During those games, the Jazz removed two of the team’s top players, Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson, Jr., before the beginning of the fourth quarter and did not return them to the game, even though these players were otherwise able to continue to play and the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt.
In addition, the Indiana Pacers have been fined $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy in connection with the team’s game against the Utah Jazz on Feb. 3. Following an investigation, including review by an independent physician, the NBA determined that Pascal Siakam, a star player under the Policy, and two other Pacers starters, neither of whom participated in the game, could have played under the medical standard in the Policy, including by playing reduced minutes. Alternatively, the team could have held the players out of other games in a way that would have better promoted compliance with the Policy.
“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,” said NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”
The Jazz were fined $500,000, while Indiana was fined $100,000.
Currently, the Jazz sit with the sixth-worst record in the league and a 37% chance to claim a Top 4 pick in the draft lottery, along with a 9% chance to win the 1st overall pick. The Pacers have won two straight and fell to the fourth-worst record in the league, with a 14% chance to get the 1st overall pick in June’s NBA Draft.
Check out Tankathon for updated Draft Lottery percentages.