Cleveland Cavaliers fined $100K for violating the NBA’s Player Participation Policy by resting Mitchell and Mobley

The Cleveland Cavaliers have been fined $100,000 by the NBA for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy after resting star players Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley during their road game against the Miami Heat on Thursday (Philippine Standard Time).

“The NBA announced today that the Cleveland Cavaliers have been fined $100,000 for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy. The violation occurred when the Cavaliers held Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, who are both star players under the Policy, out of the team against the Miami Heat. The Policy, which was adopted prior to the 2023-24 season, is intended to promote participation in the NBA’s regular season,” the league said in a statement.

Both Mitchell and Mobley fall under the NBA’s “star” designation—players who have earned All-Star or All-NBA honors within the previous three seasons. The policy, introduced ahead of the 2023–24 campaign to curb excessive load management, outlines several key requirements for teams:

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/m0rZeD5SlW

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) November 18, 2025

• No more than one star player may sit out a game without a valid medical reason. 
• Stars must be available for nationally televised and in-season tournament games. 
• Teams must balance star player absences between home and road contests. 
• Healthy players cannot be shut down long-term. 
• Penalties escalate with each offense, starting at $100,000. 

Despite missing their two top players, Cleveland cruised to a 130–116 victory behind a dominant performance from Jarrett Allen, who posted 30 points and 10 rebounds. De’Andre Hunter added 21 points in support.

Mitchell and Mobley remain central to Cleveland’s success this season. Mitchell is averaging 30.9 points per game—among the league’s top five scorers—while Mobley contributes 18.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per contest.

Riding strong momentum from last year, the Cavaliers sit at 10–5, placing them second in the Western Conference standings.

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