‘It’s Actually Throwing Games’ Perkins Accuses Jazz And Pacers Of Disrespecting Basketball
Kendrick Perkins, the former NBA player turned ESPN analyst, didn’t hold back his thoughts on recent fines levied by the league on the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers.
The NBA levied a $500,000 penalty on the Jazz and $100,000 on the Pacers for breaking the league’s player participation policy. Perkins, however, believes the fines should have been stiffer.
Perkins, appearing on ESPN’s NBA Today show, went further than most analysts in his assessment of the recent fines. Perkins believes the league should have levied a $5 million penalty on both the Jazz and Pacers.
“I wish Adam Silver would’ve fined them $5 million for disrespecting the game of basketball. Let’s stop being nice about it and throwing out the word ‘tanking,'” Perkins said on the show. “No, it’s actually throwing games.”
Perkins went on to explain what really bothered him about what the Jazz and Pacers were doing by resting players. Perkins said what really bothered him was that the Jazz and Pacers were not just resting players; they were actually trying to lose games in games where the outcome was still in doubt.
“You’re trying to throw games to lose games. Think about that for a second,” Perkins said. “In one of the best sports in the world, in a competitive sport, you’re teaching to try to lose games.”
ESPN’s NBA on ESPN account posted Perkins’ statement on Friday night.
“I wish Adam Silver would’ve fined them $5M for disrespecting the game of basketball. Let’s stop being nice about it and throwing out the word ‘tanking.’ No, it’s actually throwing games.”
—@KendrickPerkins weighs in on the Jazz and Pacers being fined for sitting healthy players… pic.twitter.com/GoTP7vfQO2
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) February 13, 2026
Jazz benched stars in fourth quarter of close games
Utah was fined $500,000 for actions taken in games against Orlando on Feb. 7 and Miami on Feb. 9. In both games, the Jazz benched Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. before the start of the fourth quarter of both games. Neither player was listed on the injury report.
The Magic came from a 17-point deficit to win 120-117. Utah beat Miami 115-111 while resting their players.
The issue has been addressed by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition.” He also said that any other infraction would bring stiffer penalties.
The Indiana situation involved a Feb. 3 game against Utah. Pascal Siakam and two other players did not play at all. The independent physician determined that all players were capable of playing, at least in limited minutes.
Jazz owner Ryan Smith also reacted to the issue on social media. “Agree to disagree.” He also said, “We won the game in Miami and got fined? That makes sense.”
The Pacers and Jazz are both struggling teams. The Pacers have a 15-40 win-loss record. The Jazz have an 18-37 win-loss record.
2026 Draft Class Fueling Tanking Fears But Lacking Elite Talent
The player participation policy was adopted by the league in Sep 2023. The season has brought renewed concern regarding the policy because of the upcoming draft class. The top players in the draft class consist of Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, BYU forward AJ Dybantsa, and Duke forward Cameron Boozer.
The policy has been dismissed by Perkins because of a lack of elite players.
“There’s not a generational talent in this draft.” He also said, “Do they have some good franchise guys? Absolutely. AJ Dybantsa, is he a Victor [Wembanyama]? Is he a Cooper Flagg? Is he a LeBron [James]? No.”
The league is in a tricky situation. Teams are within their rights to do what they want with their rosters. However, the issue arises when the decision-making process is more focused on losing than winning. This affects the product the fans pay to see.
Fines are the league’s way of trying to strike a balance. Teams are still allowed to tank. However, they are not allowed to tank in a way that shows blatant disrespect for the game.
