It’s not realistic for every team in the league to have a chance to win an NBA championship each season. It also doesn’t help that small-market teams aren’t the most intriguing free-agent destinations for star players. As a result, the NBA Draft is the best way to acquire high-level talent.
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Of course, losing games typically leads to higher odds, but it also worsens the product on the court. The league wants to ensure that practice stops and is willing to go the extra mile.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear once he took over the role in 2014 that he would put an end to tanking. This was fresh off the heels of the Philadelphia 76ers’ allegedly losing on purpose for multiple seasons, with the intention of landing high lottery picks. Their method of rebuilding was somewhat successful, considering they had a top-three pick from 2014 to 2017.
Plenty of teams saw that formula and strived to emulate it in some way. Of course, these days, tanking isn’t done as blatantly but it can still be pretty obvious. The Utah Jazz are the most recent example.
In an effort to ensure they keep their top-eight protected pick, the Jazz have been benching their key players in fourth quarters to increase their chances of losing. On February 7 and 9, the Jazz refused to play Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen in the fourth quarters of games they easily could’ve impacted.
The NBA would go on to fine the Jazz $500,000 for their actions. Silver released a public statement, which included his rationale on the matter as a whole.
“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver.
“Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct,” he added.
Silver hasn’t been shy to think outside of the box. One of the best examples is the NBA Play-In Tournament. It seemed like a crazy idea at first, but it has become one of the best innovative ploys in league history. Silver has tried to tackle tanking already in a big way. He flattened the draft odds, which have had a direct correlation in the draft lottery.
Last season, we saw the Dallas Mavericks land the top overall pick despite being a Play-In team. The year before, the Atlanta Hawks received the top pick despite having a slim chance. Unfortunately, this hasn’t quite had the impact Silver and the rest of the league officials hoped it would. As a result, they could possibly look to incentivize winning to drown out the desire to tank.
“Whether it be rewarding teams in the standings with wins and not incentivizing teams to lose,” said ESPN’s Bobby Marks.
Rewarding winning teams would be unlike anything the league has ever seen. That could get out of hand quickly. Of course, Silver is aware of that, which is why it’s only a possibility as we speak. It could very well flip the league’s entire dynamic of balance upside down if it isn’t managed correctly.
It’ll be interesting to see how Silver and the league pivot from here. Some teams depend on the draft for talent, so a balance would certainly be needed. It’s not realistic to expect a solution immediately, but maybe it’ll arrive in the offseason.
