Jason Burgos
Most assume that the NBA will do something to stop the rampant tanking going on at the bottom of the standings. However, a new report suggests there isn’t much traction around the league for the prospective fixes.
Tanking in the NBA is nothing new. However, with the 2026 NBA Draft projected to have one of the best prospect classes in years, close to a dozen teams have fully embraced the strategy over the final two minutes of the season. It has gotten to the point where teams like the Utah Jazz have even benched healthy impact players in the fourth quarter to ensure a loss.
It has frustrated NBA fans and enraged commissioner Adam Silver. Now, stopping the 2026 battle for the bottom from happening in future seasons is a top priority for the commish, and late last month, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed three ideas expected to be presented at the next Board of Governors meeting to try to end the practice.
All three proposals widen the lottery to 18 teams and flatten the NBA lottery odds to differing degrees, and include other elements. Yet, the trio of ideas is not gaining popularity around the game. “None of them were embraced with much warmth around the league,” sources tell ESPN’s Anthony Slater.
General manager explains why tanking, while ugly, works
Slater’s new report details the current tanking drama and how many around the idea hate the practice. Including coaches and players looking to improve their value before jumping into NBA free agency. However, while the practice is an ugly one, there are many around the game who feel it is a working formula, including one Western Conference general manager.
“These teams are doing the whole gamut: sitting guys in the fourth, playing analytically bad lineups, drawing up plays for bad shots,” a West GM told Slater. “The creativity is impressive, and I don’t blame them. It’s the best strategy to get better.
“Look at all the most promising teams in the league: Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets, Charlotte Hornets. Years of being bad and building up on high picks. It’s painful but worthwhile.”
For NBA fans and those inside the league who hate the growing practice of tanking, it sure does not seem like there is much momentum behind making serious fixes soon.
