NBA Looking to Crack Down on Teams That Tank for Better Draft Picks

The NBA is taking a hard look at teams that lose on purpose to get better draft picks. League officials are worried some franchises might trade away good players or bench their stars late in the season just to lose more games and improve their lottery odds.

They want to make sure every game matters.

This isn’t a new problem. The NBA has already tweaked the lottery system in recent years, making it so the worst teams don’t automatically get the best picks.

But now they’re thinking about going further.

What Might Change

One bold idea would actually take draft picks away from teams if data shows they deliberately lost games. Pretty serious stuff.

Another proposal would give teams rewards for winning games, even when they’re already out of playoff contention.

The league is also looking at changing how lottery odds work again. They want to make the difference between having the worst record and being just outside the playoffs much smaller.

This would make tanking less attractive since you wouldn’t get much better odds by losing more games.

Commissioner Adam Silver hasn’t announced any specific rules yet, but he’s made it clear he wants fans to stay engaged throughout the entire season.

Why Tanking Is a Problem

When teams try to lose, it makes games boring to watch. Fans who pay good money for tickets don’t want to see a team that’s not even trying to win.

It also creates an uneven playing field and can hurt player development. Young players might develop bad habits on teams that don’t care about winning.

We’ve all seen teams suddenly trade away their veterans or give their stars “rest days” once playoff hopes fade. While there can be legitimate reasons for these moves, it gets suspicious when it becomes a pattern of losing.

Not Everyone Agrees

Some teams and analysts think tanking is still a valid strategy for rebuilding. After all, how else can small-market teams compete if they can’t attract free agents?

Others believe the league needs to take stronger action to keep games competitive.

Front offices around the NBA are paying close attention. If the league starts handing out serious penalties for tanking, teams might need to completely rethink how they manage their rosters when they’re out of playoff contention.

What Happens Next

There’s no timeline yet for when these changes might happen, but Silver and team owners are expected to discuss these proposals at upcoming league meetings.

For now, the anti-tanking movement has momentum. The big question is how to balance fair competition with the traditional NBA strategy of rebuilding through the draft.

Whatever happens, teams might soon think twice before they start “resting” their best players just to improve their lottery odds.