The Indiana Pacers were one of the teams, along with the Utah Jazz, to be fined $100,000 for perceived tanking.
The Jazz were fined $50,0000, and the NBA released a statement saying both franchises were penalized for “conduct detrimental to the league” as the main reason.
Indiana Pacers President Drops Blunt Response to Tanking Allegations
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the President of the Pacers’ basketball operations, Kevin Pritchard, set the record straight on the tanking accusations.
“Sometimes, “tanking” can be misinterpreted by developing the younger players. We say the G-League is a great place, and it is…but there is nothing like true NBA game speed. Thanks, Rooster. Keep up the great work.”
Sometimes “tanking” can be misinterpreted by developing the younger players. We say the Gleague is a great place and it is…but there is nothing like true nba game speed. Thanks Rooster. Keep up the great work.
— Kevin Pritchard (@PacersKev) February 17, 2026
Pritchard’s comments come as a response to Mark Cuban’s take on tanking. The Pacers were found in the spotlight for the wrong reasons after resting key players in their recent game, while the NBA believed the players should have laced up. Ahead of their matchup against the Brooklyn Nets, their marquee stars were on the sidelines.
As it stands, the Pacers are among the five teams with fewer than 20 wins this season at the All-Star break. They join the East’s Washington Wizards, the Nets, the Sacramento Kings, and the New Orleans Pelicans as the league’s worst-placed teams this season.
It is worth noting that if Indiana has picks Nos. 1-4 in the upcoming draft, it retains those picks. But given their recent trade with the Los Angeles Clippers, they lose their first-round pick if it falls in the 5-9 range, per IndyStar.
In related news, NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the league monitoring teams for tanking. “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” Silver remarked.
MORE: Chris Paul Gets Candid About the ‘Best Organization’ He Played for Throughout His NBA Career
The trade deadline saw the Paces acquire Ivica Zubac, the Clippers’ longest-tenured player, to add more teeth to their defense. A reliable big with seasoned rim protection skills and handy offense, Zubac, with the team’s stars Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam, make for an intriguing trio next season.
Indiana is well out of playoff reckoning after their stellar NBA Finals run last season. With Haliburton expected to return for the next edition, the Pacers will be keen to shake off the tanking tag that sees them cop immense flak this season.