The message from Adam Silver was not subtle.
Silver told the league’s 30 general managers on Thursday that the NBA is planning to make anti-tanking rule changes for next season, sources told Shams Charania of ESPN. And this time, it sounds like more than talk.
League conversations with owners, executives, and the competition committee have picked up steam, with multiple concepts already on the table, Charania reported. Not someday ideas. Real ones.
Among the proposals being discussed are limits on how teams can protect first-round picks, freezing lottery odds at or near the trade deadline, and preventing teams from selecting in the top four in consecutive years.
Other ideas include banning top-four picks the year after a conference finals appearance, tying lottery odds to two-year records, and even expanding the lottery to include play-in teams.
Silver was described as forceful in Thursday’s meeting, making it clear the league wants to protect competitive integrity.
That tone was echoed by former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, now a senior adviser to the league office, who urged a prompt and measured response to what has become an increasingly visible issue.
Silver acknowledged during All-Star Weekend that tanking has been worse this season than in recent memory and said every possible remedy is being considered.
The timing is not accidental.
Earlier in the day, Suns owner Matt Ishbia blasted tanking publicly. Last week, the league fined the Jazz and Pacers for sitting healthy players.
The league has sent the warning shots. Now comes the hard part. Turning talk into rules that actually change behavior.
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