NBA commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear the league believes tanking has crossed a line this season, and that teams are now operating under heightened scrutiny as the NBA weighs more aggressive responses — including, at least conceptually, the possibility of abolishing the draft.
During his annual press conference at NBA All-Star Weekend, Silver acknowledged that league officials believe the behavior being seen around the league exceeds what has occurred in recent years, calling competitive balance essential to the NBA’s credibility.
Silver confirmed that league officials recently met in Los Angeles to examine a wide range of potential remedies and stressed that teams have effectively been put on notice.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, it is my view,” Silver said over the weekend. “We’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”
(Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
According to The Athletic‘s Joe Vardon, league officials discussed roughly 10 ideas to curb tanking. While eliminating the rookie draft was not formally proposed, it was described as a concept that could receive serious consideration if other measures fail.
That alone underscores how serious the league believes the problem has become.
Is There An Easy Solution For NBA Tanking?
The Athletic‘s Sam Amick, during his weekly interview with Sactown Sports’ Jason Ross, said the tanking conversation was unavoidable during All-Star weekend, particularly in light of recent fines levied against the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for questionable late-game decisions.
“When the league office cares, I think usually there’s an adjustment,” Amick said. “They’re very aware of the public perception of that.”
Amick noted that behind the scenes, the topic was being openly debated among executives, owners, and league power brokers. He pointed to Vardon’s report indicating that multiple meetings were held and solutions were floated — including, at least internally, the idea that “the outright abolition of the draft completely was not off the table.”
“That kind of shows you the nature of the conversation they’re having around tanking and around the draft,” Amick said.
Silver himself is questioning whether the draft’s original purpose still holds if teams intentionally lose to manipulate lottery odds.
“Part of the problem is if you step back, the fundamental theory behind a draft is to help your worst-performing teams restock and be able to compete,” Silver said at All-Star Weekend. “We want parity, but parity of opportunity.”
(Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
Amick echoed that concern from a fan’s perspective, arguing that incentives continue to drive losing.
“Incentives drive decisions, and they are incentivized to lose,” Amick said. “As long as that’s the case, I think it’s a less fan experience than it should be.”
The league has already attempted to curb tanking by flattening lottery odds, expanding the Play-In Tournament, and implementing the 65-game rule. Yet Amick noted that teams still appear willing to gamble on lottery positioning rather than push for marginal competitiveness.
“That doesn’t seem to scare teams,” he said. “Obviously, it’s top of mind for Adam Silver.”
Whether the NBA ultimately tweaks the lottery again or pursues something far more drastic, the message from the league office is clear: tanking is no longer considered an acceptable cost of doing business.
Check out the full interview with The Athletic‘s Sam Amick by scrolling to the top of the page or by clicking here.
Listen to The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross from 6 – 10 a.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
