The 76ers were fined $75,000, while the Pelicans received a $25,000 penalty.

The fine for the Philadelphia 76ers came after Joel Embiid, the team's star player, went from not being on the injury report to being listed as "out with left knee soreness" for a nationally televised game against the Denver Nuggets on Saturday afternoon. This sudden change raised eyebrows and prompted the league to take action.

Similarly, the New Orleans Pelicans were fined for not properly reporting Trey Murphy's injury before their game against the Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday. Despite undergoing knee surgery in the offseason, Murphy was not included in the injury report for the second night of a back-to-back, during which he ultimately did not play.

Joel Embiid's knee issue has been a recurring problem this season, and it was exacerbated in the team's loss to the Indiana Pacers last Thursday. However, the 76ers did not include him in the injury report before deciding to sit him out on Saturday after assessing his condition in warmups. Embiid also missed Monday's game in Portland but returned on Tuesday against the Golden State Warriors, only to exit the game in the fourth quarter due to another injury.

The extent of Embiid's absence from the team is unclear, as the 76ers have not provided a timeline for his return. Meanwhile, Murphy's inability to participate in back-to-back games has been a consistent issue, but the Pelicans failed to disclose this information in the injury report for the relevant game against the Bucks.

Philadelphia received a higher fine due to past violations of the policy, but the league clarified that Embiid's injury was a confirmed preexisting one, which meant that the team was not in violation of the newly introduced player participation policy. This policy was made to ensure transparency and accountability in injury reporting.

Previously, the Brooklyn Nets were fined $100,000 for violating the player participation policy, making the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans the only teams besides the Nets to face penalties under this rule so far this season. The NBA continues to emphasize the importance of adhering to injury reporting rules to maintain fairness and integrity in the league.

The fines imposed on the 76ers and Pelicans serve as a reminder to all teams of the NBA's commitment to enforcing injury reporting regulations and preventing teams from misrepresenting players' health statuses.