The NBA has fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $250,000 for violating the league’s player participation policy, according to an announcement issued Friday.
The policy, introduced in 2023, aims to reduce the frequency of teams resting healthy players during the regular season, particularly in marquee matchups.
As explained in a Hoops Rumors glossary entry, the rules apply primarily to players designated as “stars,” and set restrictions on when those players can sit out, especially during NBA Cup games or nationally televised broadcasts unless they have a valid, league-approved reason such as a documented injury.
In this case, the league determined that All-Star guard Darius Garland was able to play in the nationally televised November 24 game against the Toronto Raptors but was instead used the night before against the Clippers, a contest that wasn’t nationally aired.
By choosing to play him in the non-televised game and holding him out the next night, the Cavaliers ran afoul of the league’s standards for star availability.
This marks Cleveland’s second violation of the policy this season, with the first infraction occurring earlier in the year.
Under NBA rules, any team found to have breached the player participation guidelines is subject to monetary penalties, which in this instance amounted to a $250,000 fine.
The Cavaliers have violated the NBA's player participation policy twice this season. Details on their latest fine: https://t.co/WOZb4fvnUi
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) December 5, 2025
