Would Adam Silver really cut the throttle if tanking got out of hand?
One of the biggest NBA talking points has been a big problem for the league in recent weeks, with teams like The Utah Jazz routinely field starters to increase your lottery chances. The NBA has attempted to address this problem in recent seasons by reducing lottery odds and implementing fines, but it’s clear more work is needed to meet fan expectations.
This was recently reported by NBA insider Joe Vardon of the Athletics one proposed idea it would cause the league to do away with the draft entirely and essentially make new starters free agents.
“There have been numerous meetings this week among league officials to discuss remedies for the tank, and of the roughly 10 solutions discussed, eliminating the rookie draft entirely was not among them, one of those officials said,” Vardon said.
However, this does not mean that it will be ruled out if things continue in this direction.
“…if (Adam) Silver and his advisers decide the only way to stop screwing up … is to stop the draft entirely and turn rookies into free agents, the same league official said that would be seriously considered,” he reported.
Meanwhile, the NBA commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the league’s issues during his media availability at All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
“My sense is from talking to GMs and coaches around the league that there’s probably even more parity that’s reflected in our records. And that relates to the incentive issue. … It’s a bit of a conundrum,” he said.
It’s unlikely that there’s any solution that will be able to completely satisfy all parties involved, but there’s clearly a problem when teams routinely pull their starters from back-to-back games in an apparent attempt to lose.
It remains to be seen how the NBA will continue to address this issue in the coming seasons.
2026-02-15 19:12:00
