At the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, Calif., NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday the league’s efforts to stop teams from deliberately losing games — a practice known as “tanking” — have fallen short. Speaking on the eve of the NBA All‑Star Game, Silver warned that analytic-driven incentives are encouraging teams to prioritize draft positioning over competitive integrity. He cited recent incidents, including the Utah Jazz’s $500,000 fine for resting star players in fourth quarters, as evidence the current approach is ineffective. Silver said the league will reassess longstanding practices tied to the draft and consider new ideas to realign incentives.
Key takeaways
- The NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 after the team sat starters late in consecutive games, a disciplinary action highlighted by Commissioner Adam Silver.
- Silver told reporters at the Intuit Dome (All‑Star Game site) that current measures to discourage tanking “are not working.”
- The league’s weighted draft lottery was implemented to reduce the payoff for losing, but Silver questioned whether worst records equate to greatest need.
- The 2026 draft class is widely regarded as one of the strongest in recent memory, increasing the perceived value of low standings.
- Team owner Ryan Smith responded sarcastically to the fine, noting one accused game (vs. Miami) was actually won by Utah.
- Public commentators, including Colin Cowherd, have suggested tougher, more public enforcement to deter intentional losing.
- Silver signaled the NBA is open to “fresh thinking” and a review of rules that date back decades.
Background
Tanking has been an intermittent issue in major U.S. sports for decades, tied directly to how drafts allocate top amateur talent to struggling franchises. The NBA’s draft lottery, and later weighted versions of it, were designed to prevent teams from gaining automatic reward from finishing last. Still, as analytics and roster‑construction strategies have evolved, some franchises have calculated that long‑term roster improvement can be achieved faster by prioritizing high draft positions over short‑term competitiveness. Owners, executives and media figures have debated responses for years, but consensus on an effective, enforceable remedy has been elusive.
The 2026 draft class — viewed by many scouts as unusually deep at the top — has sharpened the incentive to accumulate draft capital. League discipline, such as the Jazz fine, has become more visible, but penalties so far appear not to have deterred the broader behavior Silver described. Stakeholders include team owners, front offices balancing business and sporting objectives, players whose minutes are managed, and the league office tasked with protecting product integrity while preserving teams’ autonomy.
Main event
At a Saturday press availability at the Intuit Dome, Silver framed the issue as both ethical and structural. He observed that earlier eras relied on an informal “code” among partners about competitive conduct, but modern analytics have exposed misaligned incentives that make tanking a rational sport‑business decision for some clubs. He explicitly called for a systematic review of long‑standing rules tied to the draft order and the penalties used to police behavior.
The Jazz episode prompted immediate attention. The NBA determined Utah’s late‑game player management in consecutive contests was “conduct detrimental to the league,” resulting in the $500,000 penalty. Utah owner Ryan Smith pushed back, calling the league’s action sarcastically into question and noting one of the scrutinized games was actually a Jazz win in Miami.
Silver reiterated that the weighted lottery implemented in recent seasons was intended to blunt the pure correlation between worst record and best pick, but he said that in practice it hasn’t removed the incentive to lose when a high draft pick could change a franchise’s trajectory. He described the current environment as a “conundrum” because teams near the bottom may differ little in measurable terms from teams slightly above them, yet the reward structure can push behavior toward losing.
Analysis & implications
The commissioner’s remarks signal a potentially consequential policy moment for the NBA. If the league undertakes structural changes to the draft or to enforcement mechanisms, those changes could reshape roster construction incentives and short‑term competitive behavior across the league. For teams weighing immediate revenue from wins against a longer rebuild, any shift that reduces draft rewards for losing will change cost‑benefit calculations and could accelerate different rebuild models, including trades and international scouting.
Economically, the league must balance competitive integrity with franchise value. A team intentionally performing poorly can diminish product quality for fans, broadcasters and sponsors, potentially reducing leaguewide revenues. Yet heavy‑handed rules or uncertain enforcement could invite litigation or claims of unfair interference in team management decisions. Silver’s public recognition of the problem increases pressure on governors and owners to agree on a fix that is both defensible and enforceable.
Internationally and competitively, a stronger deterrent to tanking would likely alter draft market dynamics and might encourage teams to invest more in scouting, player development and trades to acquire talent rather than rely on draft position. Conversely, failing to act could erode fan trust and spark calls for more radical solutions, such as reseeding incentives, changing draft eligibility, or expanding the play‑in/playoff formats to keep more teams competitively engaged late in the season.
Comparison & data
| System | Primary goal | Effect on incentive to lose |
|---|---|---|
| Pure worst‑record = best pick | Reward poorest teams | High |
| Weighted lottery | Reduce tanking payoff | Medium |
| No draft lottery / different allocation | Prioritize competitive integrity | Low (depends on design) |
Weighted lotteries were introduced to dilute the direct benefit of finishing last, but Silver’s comments and recent incidents suggest that shift has not fully realigned incentives. Any empirical evaluation should examine draft outcomes, subsequent team performance, and changes in game‑time decisions tied to playoff contention across multiple seasons to determine whether policy adjustments have had the intended effects.
Reactions & quotes
League reaction was immediate and varied. Commissioner Silver framed tanking as a structural problem driven by misaligned incentives and signaled a willingness to consider new solutions. Owners and commentators have pushed back or offered blunt remedies, underscoring the lack of consensus.
“We got to look at some fresh thinking here. We’re doing, what we’re seeing right now, is not working.”
Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner
Silver’s statement was delivered publicly at the All‑Star site and reflected both frustration with recent behaviors and openness to policy change. He specifically questioned whether worst records always correspond to the greatest roster need, complicating how the league evaluates fairness and competitive balance.
“agree to disagree.”
Ryan Smith, Utah Jazz owner
Smith’s terse reply accompanied a wider defense of his team’s approach; he also pointed out one contested game was a Jazz victory in Miami, a fact the owner used to argue the league’s interpretation was inconsistent. His response illustrates the confrontational tone that can arise between the league office and club ownership during discipline cases.
“People feared David Stern.”
Colin Cowherd, broadcaster
Cowherd’s comment reflects a common public suggestion: restore a more aggressive enforcement posture. But restoring a past enforcement style may be legally and practically different from designing rules that effectively change incentives in today’s analytically driven environment.
Unconfirmed
- Whether the 2026 draft class will definitively alter specific franchises’ futures is a projection and depends on how prospects develop at the NBA level.
- The claim that the current year is categorically worse for tanking than all recent seasons is the commissioner’s assessment; a comprehensive, data‑driven trend analysis across multiple seasons would be needed to confirm.
- Any specific internal team intent to lose games beyond the Jazz disciplinary findings remains difficult to prove without direct evidence from club decision‑makers.
Bottom line
Adam Silver’s public admonition makes clear the NBA sees tanking as a material threat to competitive integrity and fan trust. The Jazz fine has dramatized the problem, but penalties alone have not changed leaguewide incentives, Silver said, prompting a pledge to explore alternatives to a decades‑old system. Any reform will require owners, the players’ association and the league office to balance sporting fairness, legal constraints and teams’ business interests.
For fans and stakeholders, the key question is whether the NBA can design rules that reduce the payoff for losing without creating new disputes or unintended consequences. The league’s next steps — whether a redesigned draft formula, stiffer enforcement guidelines, or structural playoff changes — will shape how teams construct rosters and compete in the seasons ahead. Expect detailed proposals, data analysis and robust debate before any major change is adopted.
Sources
- NBC News — Media report of commissioner remarks and Jazz fine (news)