The Oklahoma City Thunder are under investigation by the NBA after 10 players were ruled out of a nationally televised game against the San Antonio Spurs last week due to injury, as reported by Dan Woike of The Athletic.
The Thunder lost to the Spurs, 116-106, with only eight available players, of which three were on two-way contracts, which meant they can bounce between the NBA team and its G-League affiliate throughout the season.
There was a moment late in the third quarter where all three bench players were about to check into the game at the same time, resulting in the bizarre sight of nothing but empty chairs next to the coaching staff.
ESPN’s Shams Charania reported hours before tip-off that reigning NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be re-evaluated after All-Star Weekend after suffering an abdominal strain.
Chet Holmgren (low back spasms), Isaiah Hartenstein (right eye, corneal abrasion), Lugentz Dort (right patellofemoral joint, inflammation), and Alex Caruso (right adductor strain) sat out against the Spurs, but were able to play three days later on Saturday (Feb. 7) versus the Houston Rockets.
Jalen Williams, Ajay Mitchell, Ousmane Dieng, Thomas Sorber, and Nikola Topić are the remaining players who were listed out.
The NBA board of governors unanimously voted to approve the Player Participation Policy in 2023, which allowed the league to fine teams when star players sit out nationally televised games and in-season tournaments.
According to ESPN, anyone who has been named an All-Star or All-NBA in one of the last three seasons is considered a star player. By this classification, Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren, and Williams would be characterized as star players.
This policy was meant to address the concern over teams intentionally resting star players. Gilgeous-Alexander and Williams appear to be genuinely injured, as the former will miss the All-Star Game and the latter last played on Jan. 17.
Sources told ESPN that a first offense carries a $100,000 fine, followed by $250,000 for a second time, and “$1 million more than the previous penalty for each additional fine.”