NBA Official: Cavaliers Fined $100,000 for Violating Player Participation Policy; Heat Rest Two Key Stars

On November 19th Beijing time, the NBA announced a $100,000 fine on the Cleveland Cavaliers for breaking the league's player participation rules.

This violation took place in the November 12th game (local time) between the Cavaliers and the Heat, when the team rested star players Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley who were required to play under the policy. The league stated that the policy was officially implemented before the 2023-24 season to encourage players’ active participation in NBA regular season games, ensuring the competition’s quality and entertainment value.

In that game, although Mitchell and Mobley were sidelined, the Cavaliers still won on the road 130-116 against the Heat. Center Allen scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, Hunter contributed 21 points and 6 rebounds, and reserve Porter added 19 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists. For the Heat, Powell scored 27 points with 5 assists, while Wiggins posted 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 6 assists.

Here are some recent notable cases of NBA teams fined for violating the player participation policy—

Utah Jazz (March 2025): Fined $100,000 for not playing star Lauri Markkanen in the March 5th game against the Washington Wizards and several other matches. The fine will increase to $250,000 if further violations occur.

Atlanta Hawks (November 2024): Fined $100,000 because Trae Young missed the NBA Cup game against the Boston Celtics on November 12th. After investigation, including an independent medical review, the league determined Young was medically cleared to play, and the team’s actions violated the policy.

Philadelphia 76ers (October 2024): Fined $100,000 due to public comments by coach Nurse and team executives about Joel Embiid’s injury that breached the player participation policy. However, the league confirmed Embiid was legitimately unable to play due to a left knee injury, so his absence itself was not a violation.