The NBA is currently investigating the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Philadelphia 76ers, according to reports.
Both teams are being investigated for violations of the player participation policy, in which players who are stars (specifically ones who were NBA All-Stars within the last year), who are being sat for any reason not allowed by NBA. The policy acts both as a way to keep star players on the court for fans and as an anti-tanking measure.
The Thunder are being investigated for their March 7th game against the Portland Trail Blazers, where they sat six players, including MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous Alexander and star forward Jalen Williams, in a win. The Thunder aren’t a tanking team, as they lead the Western Conference by a comfortable margin, and with a non-televised game a part of the investigation.
The 76ers are being investigated for the second time this season, this time for, as reported by ESPN, ârecent absences of players such as Paul George (knee, back, finger) and Tyrese Maxey (back, finger).” The 76ers have endured a disappointing year, following several injuries to George, Maxey, and a season-ending injury for Joel Embiid, and don’t have a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA Draft to tank for.
The NBA has been investigating teams for their player participation policy, most recently fining the Utah Jazz, who are in the midst of a tank, who were fined $100,000 for sitting forward Lauri Markkanen. The 76ers were fined in October for public comments made by the team over Embiid’s health that, according to the reports, violated the player participation policy.
Potential punishments for the policy violations are $100,000 for the first offense, $250,000 for the second, and $1 million for the third. While the first violation is something that teams could potentially overcome, the steeper cost in the later charges is more than teams would like to pay. If found guilty, the Thunder would be in their first offense, but the 76ers would have their second.
The league’s investigations will force many teams to reexamine how they approach the final month of the season. Many team records and playoff positioning are set, and many teams would sit their stars to prepare for next season. These new policies make any potential tank even more difficult to pull off.
While the verdict is still out, the recent investigations into Oklahoma City and Philadelphia sends a message to the league that they are indeed watching teams and are prepared to act on league interests.
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