The Utah Jazz are back in the spotlight - and not for the reasons most fans would hope. Just a year removed from being fined by the NBA for sitting healthy players, the Jazz appear to be toeing the line again. This time, the tactic is a little more subtle but just as controversial: benching their top stars for the entire fourth quarter.
Lauri Markkanen, arguably the face of the franchise right now, has been parked on the bench for the final frame in three straight games. That’s not due to foul trouble or fatigue.
It’s a deliberate move - and one that’s raising eyebrows across the league. Even in Monday’s 115-111 win over the Miami Heat, where the Jazz’s plan to “accidentally” lose didn’t quite work out, Markkanen never saw the court in crunch time.
And that’s where the integrity questions start to pile up.
Bobby Marks: “Messing with the integrity of the NBA”
On NBA Today, ESPN’s Bobby Marks didn’t mince words. He called out the Jazz for what he sees as an intentional effort to manipulate outcomes by sitting stars late in games.
“I think what Utah is doing right now is messing around with the integrity of the NBA,” Marks said.
It’s a strong accusation, but one that’s rooted in a real concern. The league has implemented rules to curb tanking - particularly when it comes to resting “star” players.
That designation includes anyone who’s made an All-Star or All-NBA team in the past three seasons. Markkanen qualifies.
So does Jaren Jackson Jr., who Utah just acquired at the trade deadline.
The Jazz were already fined $100,000 last season after sitting Markkanen under the guise of injury. He was mysteriously healthy enough to play 28 minutes in the very next game. That season ended with Utah owning the league’s worst record (17-65), though they didn’t win the lottery and landed the No. 5 pick.
Why would the Jazz want to lose?
Simple: draft capital. Utah owes its first-round pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder unless it lands in the top eight.
That gives the Jazz every reason to stay within that range. The fewer wins, the better the odds.
But here’s where it gets murky. When a team like Utah benches its best players in the fourth quarter, it doesn’t just affect their own standings.
It impacts playoff races. Teams fighting for seeding or a play-in spot could catch a break when they face a version of the Jazz that’s not putting its best foot forward.
That’s where Marks’ integrity concerns come into play - and he’s not alone in raising them.
It’s not just Utah
The Jazz may be getting the most heat, but they’re far from the only team playing the draft game. The Washington Wizards owe a top-eight-protected pick to the New York Knicks.
The Indiana Pacers owe theirs to the Clippers if it falls between picks 5-9. And the Dallas Mavericks?
They don’t control their own first-round pick from 2027 through 2030, which makes this season’s performance all the more critical.
What makes this year unique is that these “tanking” teams haven’t exactly gone into full rebuild mode. In fact, they’ve made splashy moves at the trade deadline.
Utah brought in Jaren Jackson Jr. The Wizards added Anthony Davis.
The Pacers picked up Ivica Zubac. These aren’t the kind of moves you make if you’re trying to bottom out - unless, of course, you don’t plan to play those guys when it matters most.
Jackson has joined Markkanen on the bench in Utah’s fourth quarters. The Wizards have been without Davis (hand injury) and Trae Young (quad), but both absences have dragged on longer than expected. Zubac, meanwhile, has been sidelined by a lingering ankle injury - despite playing 15 games since the original diagnosis back in December.
Coach Will Hardy: “We’re developing players”
Jazz head coach Will Hardy has pushed back on the criticism, emphasizing the importance of player development. According to Hardy, the team is focused on giving young players meaningful minutes and insists that “the players that are playing in the games are competing every night.”
That may be true. No one’s questioning the effort of the guys on the floor. But when your top players are healthy and sitting in the closing minutes of tight games, the message is hard to ignore.
And while Utah may be catching the most flak, they’re not exactly breaking new ground. The Wizards and Pacers are running similar plays from the tanking playbook - the Jazz are just doing it with a little more creativity, and perhaps a little less subtlety.
What’s next?
The NBA has tried to legislate tanking out of the game, but teams continue to find ways around the rules. Whether it’s sitting stars under the banner of “development” or stretching out minor injuries into multi-week absences, the incentives are clear - and the loopholes are still wide open.
For now, the Jazz are wearing the bullseye. If the backlash gets loud enough, the league may take a closer look. But until then, don’t be surprised if Utah keeps finding new ways to play the lottery odds - even if it means keeping their best players on the bench when the game is on the line.