Nets fined $100,000 for resting players vs. Bucks
Nets center Nic Claxton celebrates a teammate's three-pointer against the Bucks during the second half on Dec. 27, 2023, at Barclays Center. Credit: AP/Peter K. Afriyie
The Nets were fined $100,000 by the NBA on Thursday for violating the league’s player participation policy after resting several players against the Bucks on Dec. 27.
The league confirmed to Newsday on Sunday that an investigation was underway. That investigation, which included a review by an independent physician, determined that “four Nets rotation players, who did not participate in the game, could have played under the medical standard in the Player Participation Policy.”
It’s the first time the league has fined a team under the policy this season.
Spencer Dinwiddie, Nic Claxton, Cam Johnson and Dorian Finney-Smith sat out the game, a 144-122 defeat at Barclays Center on the second night of a back-to-back. Dinwiddie was listed out for rest, Claxton (left ankle sprain) and Johnson (right knee sprain) for injury management and Finney-Smith for knee soreness.
The Nets also pulled Mikal Bridges, Royce O’Neale and Cam Thomas after the first quarter. Bridges voiced his disapproval of the Nets’ plan, but the league fined the team only for the players who didn’t play.
Before the season, the participation policy was revised to discourage teams from resting healthy players to combat discussions over load management.
The league placed a direct emphasis on not resting healthy “star players” who have made at least one All-NBA or All-Star team in the past three seasons.
For the Nets, only Ben Simmons falls in that category. However, according to the policy, the league “may elect in its discretion to investigate and/or impose discipline in other circumstances involving star player [or other player] non-participation.”
Evan Barnes covers the Nets for Newsday. He previously covered Memphis football and the Memphis Grizzlies and also covered prep sports in Los Angeles.
