Atlanta Hawks Hit with $100K Fine for Sitting Healthy Trae Young

A six-figure fine is no joke.

The NBA punished the Atlanta Hawks (7-11), fining the team $100,000 after sitting a healthy Trae Young in an NBA Cup match against the Boston Celtics earlier this month. 

It's the only game Young has missed this season.

The Hawks are accused of "violating the league’s Player Participation Policy in connection with Trae Young missing the team’s Emirates NBA Cup game on Nov. 12 against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden," per the league's statement on Tuesday.

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Young's injury report coming into the game against the Celtics stated that the 26-year-old was dealing with right Achilles tendinitis.

The league investigated Young's absence and threw the hammer down on the Hawks.

ATLANTA - Trae Young of the Atlanta Hawks reacts during the first half against the Dallas Mavericks at State Farm Arena on November 25, 2024. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Issues with players taking games off have plagued the experience of NBA fans in recent seasons. While the NBA tries to combat this privileged move by players, the teams are doing their due diligence to give stars time off and "preserve" them for late-season play.

Fans have clamored for the NBA to take action against stars resting while healthy, especially as ticket prices skyrocket for games and marquee players are sometimes no-shows.

READ: NBA Study Confirms 'Load Management' Is Pointless

The NBA announced its new guidelines on mitigating "load management" this offseason.

Teams must not rest healthy star players during nationally televised games or in-season tournaments. They should not rest multiple stars in the same game nor shut down a star player for an extended period during the season.

Young is averaging 36 minutes of action this season. The three-time All-Star is averaging 21.9 points and 11.9 assists.

Will the NBA's new ‘load management’ guidelines hold up?

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