During an NBA season, there are times when players lose their cool on the court. For Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton, one of those moments happened Thursday night.
Because of Middleton’s actions, the NBA has decided to impose a fine.
Mavericks Veteran Khris Middleton Fined by NBA
On Thursday night, the Mavericks were playing the Orlando Magic in a road game. While Middleton was on the court, a nearby spectator apparently said something that upset him.
Middleton responded by tossing his mouthpiece toward the direction of the fan. The NBA typically takes a strict stance on incidents like this, and the league’s communications account on X announced the penalty.
“Dallas Mavericks forward Khris Middleton has been fined $25,000 for throwing his mouthpiece in the direction of the spectator stands, it was announced today by James Jones, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations,” the league said in a statement.
“The incident, for which Middleton was assessed a technical foul, occurred with 6:55 remaining in the third quarter of the Mavericks’ 115-114 loss to the Orlando Magic on March 5 at Kia Center.”
The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/re8UhmFRKW
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 7, 2026
Dallas is currently in the midst of a six-game losing streak, and the Magic loss was the Mavericks’ fifth straight defeat.
Middleton was traded to the Mavericks from the Washington Wizards as the Wizards acquired Dallas’ Anthony Davis in a major deal at the NBA trade deadline. Between the Wizards and Mavericks, Middleton has played 45 games.
In the 2025-26 NBA season, Middleton is averaging 10.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game. He is in his 13th NBA season and has also played with the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks. The fine may be significant, but he is currently playing on an expiring $33.3 million contract after exercising a player option tied to his three-year, $102 million deal.
The Mavericks are rebuilding their talent base around rookie sensation Cooper Flagg. This season, though, has been a tough one for Flagg, Middleton, and the rest of the Dallas squad. Entering Sunday’s games, Dallas is 21-42 overall and in 12th place in the Western Conference standings.
The Mavericks are 8.5 games behind the Portland Trail Blazers for the No. 10 spot in the West, which would place them back in postseason contention. Middleton will likely hope to help Dallas close that gap as the season continues.
For now, though, he will need to maintain his composure and make sure he keeps his mouthpiece in rather than throwing it toward fans in the future.
