NBA commissioner weighs draft-pick penalties to curb tanking
silver-considers-draft-pick-penalties-to-stop-nba-tanking
INGLEWOOD, Calif., Feb. 14, 2026 — NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday that teams are “manipulating their performance” at unprecedented levels this season and warned that the league may confiscate draft selections or impose other measures to deter blatant tanking.
Speaking to reporters before All-Star Saturday events at Intuit Dome, Silver called the situation “worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory” and noted that fines levied this week against the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers were only an initial step. “We are examining every possible remedy,” he said, adding that clubs were “very intentionally” put on notice.
Silver attributed the rise in strategic losses to modern analytics that highlight the lottery’s incentives. “It’s not clear that the 30th-ranked team is measurably worse than the 22nd if losing improves draft odds,” he said. The commissioner questioned whether the current 75-year-old draft model has become outdated and indicated the league will take “a fresh look” at the system.
The commissioner opened his remarks by recalling a recent conversation with 97-year-old Hall of Famer Bob Cousy about the inaugural 1950 All-Star Game, using the anecdote to frame the need for continued evolution in league structures.
Silver also addressed several other topics:
- Clippers investigation: The league has no timeline for completing an inquiry into whether the LA Clippers bypassed salary-cap rules through an endorsement deal involving former sponsor Aspiration and forward Kawhi Leonard. The review, conducted by Wachtell Lipton, is “enormously complex” and involves a company in bankruptcy, thousands of documents and multiple witnesses, Silver said.
- Expansion plans: The Board of Governors is expected to discuss expansion at its March meeting. After internal deliberations, the league intends to approach prospective cities and ownership groups to gauge interest and assess franchise valuations. Relocation of existing teams “is not on the table,” Silver noted.
Throughout the news conference, the commissioner emphasized balancing short-term competitive strategies with the league’s long-term relationship with fans. “We’d better not lose sight of the people who support this league day in and day out,” he said.
Source: ESPN
