NBA Fines Cavaliers $100,000 for Resting Mitchell, Mobley

The NBA fined the Cleveland Cavaliers $100,000 on Tuesday for violating the league's Player Participation Policy by resting star players Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley during their November 12 game against the Miami Heat in Miami.

The Cavaliers defeated the Heat 130-116 that night, rallying with a 37-19 scoring edge in the fourth quarter despite the absences. Mitchell, a 29-year-old guard and six-time All-Star, and Mobley, a 24-year-old forward and first-time All-Star last season, were healthy scratches as the team managed a compressed schedule. The game marked the second of Cleveland's consecutive road matchups in Miami, following a 140-138 overtime loss to the Heat two nights earlier on November 10. The Cavaliers then returned home to face the Toronto Raptors on November 13, where Mitchell and Mobley both played, combining for 38 points, 15 rebounds and nine assists in a loss.

The Player Participation Policy, implemented before the 2023-24 season, aims to increase star player availability during the regular season and maintain its competitive integrity. It prohibits teams from resting more than one star player—defined as those who have earned All-Star honors in the previous...