NBA examines thunder to sit healthy players

March 16, 2025 by Hudson Brooklyn

PublishedMarch 15, 2025 8:00 p.m. Edt|UpdatedMarch 15, 2025 8:00 p.m. Edt

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The National Basketball Association has launched an investigation into the Oklahoma City Thunder for a potential violation of league rules. 

The investigation stems from a game on March 7 between the Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers in OKC. The Thunder sat six key players, with the full list and injury report designation below:

• Shai Gilgeous Alexander: Out (Rest)
• Cason Wallace: Out (Knee)
• Jalen Williams: Out (Wrist)
• Luguentz Dort: Out (Right Patellofemoral Soreness)
• Chet Holmgren: Out (Lower Leg)
• Isaiah Hartenstein: Out (Nasal Fracture)

NBA load management problems refuse to go away

The league made new rules for the 2023-2024 season to combat the problems of load management that were widespread throughout sport.

Teams should not rest more than a “star player”, essentially someone into the All-Star team or as an all-NBA selection in the last three seasons. These star players should also be available for games broadcast nationwide. Other rules include the limitation of “Rest” Games or longer -term “shutdowns”.

The two “star players” in the thunder are Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, and when both looked, the league examined whether Williams' wrist injury was legitimate.

The Utah jazz was recently occupied with a fine of 100,000 US dollars for dealing with star player Lauri Markkanen.

READ: NBA punishes Utah jazz with 100,000 money

The entire incident really shows that the problems of the NBA with the “load management” stay here. And it is a large part of the underlying problem with the falling popularity of the league. Fans were understandably frustrated by repeating play, a boring, chuck-up style from Chuck Up 3 and the vision of stars “Ruh”, even if there is an off-day between the games.

Regardless of whether the thunder has violated the guideline or not, imagine visiting or looking at a game in which the six best players in your favorite team all expose everyone. Another team already went to the lottery. Oh, and the league also hates and despises her political views.

Welcome to modern NBA!