Ryan Smith to ESPN’s Bobby Marks: ‘Maybe sit this one out’ as Jazz fine sparks war of words

Ryan Smith was not done talking.

After the NBA fined the Jazz $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league, the Utah owner took direct aim at ESPN’s Bobby Marks, firing back after Marks compared tanking fines to luxury tax payments under the previous CBA.

“Tanking fines is like paying the luxury tax in the prior CBA,” Marks posted to X. “If it gives you a competitive advantage, or in this case, a chance to draft and keep an impact player, billionaire owners will pay the fine.”

Smith did not appreciate the framing.

“Hey Bobby… maybe sit this one out,” Smith posted. “You have no clue what paying this is like and your amnesia this week is comical.”

The exchange comes after the league fined Utah for sitting Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the entire fourth quarter of games Feb. 7 at Orlando and Feb. 9 at Miami, despite the NBA stating both players were otherwise able to continue playing while the outcomes were still in doubt.

Utah led Orlando by seven entering the fourth quarter and lost by three. Two nights later, the Jazz led Miami by three entering the final period and still won by four. The league ruled that context did not matter.

Jackson’s situation added complexity. He is scheduled for season-ending knee surgery over the All-Star break, and per The Athletic’s Tony Jones, the Jazz initially wanted to shut him down immediately after discovering the issue in his physical.

Jackson reportedly pushed to play at least one home game first, a sentiment echoed by The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor, who described the surgery as preventive.

Sources told Jones that Jackson was operating under a 25-minute restriction, which partially explains his absence late. It does not explain Markkanen, and that distinction ultimately drove the fine.

Commissioner Adam Silver made the league’s stance clear.

“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” Silver said.

Smith, clearly, sees it differently. And he is not shy about saying so.