Historic betting spreads, tanking teams, and missing stars are exposing the NBA’s growing product problem.
As ridiculous as this sounds, the NBA is sh*tty for basketball. If you want to know the current state of the Association’s product, don’t look at the highlight reels and social media breakout videos; look at the betting odds.
According to ESPN gambling writer David Payne Purdum, Friday night’s NBA slate is historic for all the wrong reasons. For the first time in 35 seasons, there are five favorites of -15 points or higher. When the “average” spread on a seven-game slate is 12.2 points, the message from the sportsbooks is loud and clear: The Association has no juice.
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Tanking Is An Epidemic In The NBA
I mean, a third of the Association has been tanking since pre-All-Star break. Look at these dumpster-fire teams that are stealing money from fans and season ticket holders: The Washington Wizards (17-59), Brooklyn Nets (18-58), Indiana Pacers (18-58), Sacramento Kings (20-57), Utah Jazz (24-52), and Dallas Mavericks (24-52).
Friday, the Boston Celtics are -17.5 favorites vs. the Milwaukee Bucks, who have effectively given up on the season and have reportedly tried to talk Giannis Antetokounmpo into sitting out games. The Houston Rockets are laying -17.5 against a Utah team that was fined $500,000 on February 12 for “conduct detrimental to the league,” aka tanking.
A Star-Studded Casualty List
It’s not just bad teams; it’s a lack of available star power. The “perceived lopsidedness” Purdum mentions is fueled by an injury report that looks like an All-NBA ballot. Granted, the Pacers have an excuse: Their best player, PG Tyrese Haliburton, tore his Achilles in Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals.
However, between genuine injuries and “recovery days,” the supposed faces of the NBA don’t play often. Which leads me to my next point: The NBA’s feckless commissioner.
The Adam Silver Problem: More Money, Less Product
This brings us to the man at the top. While NBA apologists will point to the massive $76 billion media rights deal as a sign of good health, the actual product on the floor suggests otherwise. Silver has successfully lined the pockets of owners and players, but he is presiding over a league that is losing its soul.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks to the media during a press conference before the 2026 NBA All-Star’s Saturday Night at Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. (Getty Images)
Yes, he got the owners and players more money through a new TV deal. But the TV ratings are dropping because the product is worsening due to the aforementioned issues. Obviously, Silver can’t use the “Well, what can I do about it?” excuse since he is the N-B-effing-A commissioner. If he can’t figure it out, who can?
For years, Silver has been praised as the “player-friendly” commissioner. But by being so friendly to the players’ desire to rest and the owners’ desire to tank, he has tarnished the product. If tonight’s historic lack of competitiveness is the “new normal,” Silver might go down as the executive who made the NBA rich while making it unwatchable.
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