Cavs Resting Players Keeps Costing Them

The Cavaliers continue to rack up fines from the NBA over its player participation policy. 

On Thursday, the league fined the organization $250,000 for sitting All Star guard Darius Garland in a nationally televised game against the Raptors on Nov. 24. Toronto won the game 110–99. 

The league’s investigation into the matter found Garland was available for one of Cleveland’s back-to-back games against the Clippers and Raptors on Nov. 23 and 24. Garland played against the Clippers instead of the Raptors, the latter of which was a nationally televised game on Peacock. 

It was the Cavaliers’ second violation of the policy in less than a month. The team’s first offense came on Nov. 18 after resting Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley in a Nov. 12 game against the Heat and led the NBA to fine the team $100,000. A third offense would result in a fine of $1.25 million. 

The violations come amid a tough stretch for the Cavaliers in a big season for the team. A year ago, the team started the season with 15 consecutive wins, and advanced to the second round of the playoffs. This season, the Cavaliers are just 13–10, which is eighth in the Eastern Conference Standings.

The Cavaliers also have the highest team salary in the NBA at $228 million, which makes them the only team in the second apron this season. The team could break up its core of Mitchell, Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jarrett Allen if it fails to make a deep playoff run.