The NBA has launched an investigation into the Oklahoma City Thunder for possibly violating the league’s player participation policy. According to NBA insider Shams Charania, the league is reviewing OKC’s March 7 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers, in which all five Thunder starters—Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Luguentz Dort, and Isaiah Hartenstein—sat out.
This scrutiny follows the NBA’s increased enforcement of its player participation rules, which aim to prevent teams from resting multiple star players in nationally televised or high-profile games. The league recently fined the Utah Jazz $100,000 for similar violations and is also investigating the Philadelphia 76ers for questionable absences.
Despite the controversy, Oklahoma City (54-12) remains at the top of the Western Conference, holding an 11.5-game lead over the Denver Nuggets (43-24). With the playoffs approaching, the Thunder could face penalties if the league determines they improperly rested their starters.
Gilgeous-Alexander, the NBA’s leading scorer and a frontrunner for MVP, has been averaging 32.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 6.2 assists per game. His absence, along with the rest of the starting unit, raised concerns about whether OKC violated the policy designed to maintain competitive integrity.
The NBA’s ruling could impact the Thunder as they push for the No. 1 seed and prepare for a deep postseason run. With the league cracking down on questionable player rest, OKC may need to adjust how it manages its stars down the stretch.
