TANKING REMAINS IN SPOTLIGHT AS NBA REVIEWS MULTIPLE REFORM OPTIONS
SLUG: nba-tanking-solutions-under-review
The NBA’s mid-season break featured marquee trades and All-Star festivities in Los Angeles, but executives spent just as much time arguing about an old problem: tanking.
Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed during his annual All-Star press conference that the league is “considering every possible remedy” to curb intentional losing. The issue has intensified this year amid widespread belief that the 2026 draft class will be stronger than those projected for 2027 and 2028.
Recent penalties underscore league concern
Ten days before All-Star Weekend, the NBA Competition Committee met in January to examine the subject. Shortly afterward, the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for actions deemed to prioritize draft position over winning.
Roughly 10 ideas on the table
According to The Athletic’s Joe Vardon, league officials discussed about ten possible fixes during All-Star week. Eliminating the draft entirely was not part of the conversation, but a “draft wheel” first proposed more than a decade ago by Boston Celtics executive Mike Zarren has resurfaced, Sam Amick of The Athletic reported. Any sweeping change would require approval from team owners and likely the players’ union.
Owners split on philosophy
Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban, in a pair of lengthy posts on X (formerly Twitter), argued that tanking has grown because it is an effective roster-building strategy and should be tolerated. Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia took the opposite stance, calling tanking “worse than any prop-bet scandal” and urging the league to make “massive changes.”
Media propose alternative structures
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps suggested modifying the lottery so that, after a predetermined point in the season—potentially the trade deadline, All-Star break, or a 50-game mark—losses would be credited as wins for lottery purposes. Under his example, a team starting 22-28 and then finishing 4-28 would be listed at 50-32 in the lottery standings, penalizing late-season collapses.
Separately, CBS Sports writer Sam Quinn outlined pros and cons of several fan-generated ideas now circulating online.
The debate is expected to continue through the offseason as the league weighs which, if any, of the roughly ten concepts will advance to a formal vote.
Source: Hoops Rumors
