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SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS – DECEMBER 27: Lauri Markkanen #23 of the Utah Jazz reacts before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center on December 27, 2025 in San Antonio, Texas. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
THE Utah Jazz have come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to their queue management. With Utah having one of the worst records in the league, this is a team that does not fear losses. The league accused them of outright tanking.
In fact, the NBA has already fined the Jazz $500,000 for violating the player participation policy. This did not please the owner Ryan Smithwho publicly denounced this decision on social networks. Now, it seems the league has gone even further.
Lauri Markkanen has been the subject of most scrutiny. Now the league wants to check if he is actually injured.
GettyUtah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen reacts. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
NBA sends someone to check Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen’s MRI results
According to The Athletic’s Tony Jonesthe NBA does send a representative to certify Markkanen’s MRI results. It appears the league is going a step further in its policy to reduce tanking, and that might be a step too far.
Utah shouldn’t have to verify MRI results with the NBA. No other team has done this, and it appears it could also be a personal health issue. Markkanen is the Jazz’s best player and is currently dealing with a hip injury.
This is a very unusual step taken by Adam Silver. He has already announced that changes will be made to reduce tanking before next season. THE Pacers were also fined for violating the player participation policy during a game against the Jazz in early February.
If Markkanen is seriously injured, the league will have a huge problem on its hands. They didn’t send representatives to check on other star player injuries. The Jazz are going to have a huge problem with this.
GettyUtah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen handles the ball. (Photo by Kenneth Richmond/Getty Images)
The Utah Jazz will probably continue to tank
Given how the rules are set up and the strength of the 2026 NBA Draft, the Jazz are unlikely to be perturbed. They will continue to do what they need to do to make the top four. Currently, they have the third-worst record in the Western Conference.
Utah has been poor on defense all season without the services of Walker Kessler. They have the worst defense in the NBAand this will continue for the rest of the year. If Markkanen is out for an extended period of time, this poor defense will persist.
The Jazz have already indicated they will try to win next season after trading for Jaren Jackson Jr. Adding him to the frontcourt, along with a solid draft rookie, indicates they will be done tanking for a while. They don’t believe that next year’s changes will affect them.
The NBA will have a lot of questions to answer from other teams in the league regarding this decision.
Ryan Stano Ryan Stano covers the NBA for Heavy.com. He has covered sports since 2017, covering the NFL, college football, college basketball and NBA. His work has been featured on Yahoo, Bleacher Report, FanSided and Sports Illustrated. Learn more about Ryan Stano
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