Tanking has been a part of the NBA for a long time, but teams are now more open about it.
Some teams are resting their starters even when they’re winning and are sitting out star players before the All-Star break. In response, Commissioner Adam Silver is looking into various options to stop tanking from negatively impacting the league.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that the league is considering a tournament to decide the draft order.
NBA explores options to curb tanking
“Shams mentioned that the idea of a tournament among lottery teams to determine the draft order has been discussed,” Jackson noted on X.
Jackson explained that this change could reduce motivation for teams to win the Play-In Tournament, a measure Silver introduced to maintain competition in the regular season. Instead, teams might aim to miss the playoffs to secure a better draft pick.
No decisions have been finalized, and Charania added on ESPN’s “NBA Today” that the league is considering other possibilities.
“Earlier this year, the league proposed three ideas: limiting pick protections, possibly preventing teams from drafting in the top four in consecutive years, and locking lottery positions after March 1,” Charania shared.
Adjusting lottery odds has only made the situation worse, and a perfect solution remains elusive. With talks of adding two more teams, the issue may become even more complex.