Tanking is officially on the league’s radar. Again. And this time, Adam Silver says everything is on the table.
Speaking at his annual All-Star Weekend press conference, Silver acknowledged the issue has worsened this season and said the NBA is actively exploring “every possible remedy,” per Joe Vardon of The Athletic.
One idea? Rethinking the lottery itself.
“It’s time to take a fresh look at this and to see whether that’s an antiquated way of going about doing it,” Silver said, referencing the current system that includes all 14 non-playoff teams, with odds weighted toward the bottom.
A loaded upcoming draft has only poured gasoline on the problem. Silver openly admitted teams are more incentivized than ever to lose, though he stressed that recent fines handed down to Utah and Indiana aren’t meant to be a long-term solution.
“I don’t think that’s the way to manage the system long term,” Silver said. “It will lead to very unhealthy relationships between us and our teams.”
Translation: The league knows what’s happening. And the old rules may not survive it.
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