The NBA Takes Action Against Tanking
The NBA is gearing up to address the issue of tanking.
According to a report by ESPN’s Shams Charania, Commissioner Adam Silver informed general managers that the league intends to make some adjustments to the matchup rules for the upcoming season.
Potential changes could be discussed soon, and may include ideas such as:
- First-round picks being protected only at the top four or top fourteen spots.
- Freezing lottery odds at the trading deadline or a later date.
- Preventing teams from being selected after finishing consecutively in the top four or bottom three.
- Forbidding teams from capturing a top-four pick the year after they’ve reached the conference finals.
- Assigning lottery odds based on two years of records.
- Expanding the lottery to include all play-in teams.
- Flattening odds for all lottery teams.
This reported initiative comes as close to a third of the league seems to be vying for favorable draft positions ahead of the 2026 draft class.
The conversation surrounding tanking has grown increasingly intense, especially after Silver imposed fines on the Jazz ($500,000) and Pacers ($100,000) for not adhering to the NBA’s player participation rules.
Silver expressed his concerns clearly, stating, “This blatant act of prioritizing draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and we will respond accordingly to any further acts that undermine the integrity of our game.” He noted the collaboration with the Competition Committee and Board to further tackle such issues.
During a press conference at the All-Star Weekend, Silver acknowledged the need for a new perspective on the draft system, which currently promotes teams to aim for higher picks even at the cost of losing.
“We need to consider new ways of thinking here,” he remarked. “What we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now, isn’t working. There’s no question about that.”
Interestingly, earlier on the same day, Suns owner Matt Ishbia took to social media to criticize tanking, labeling it as “loser behavior.” Contrastingly, Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban suggested that the NBA should actually embrace tanking.
