NBA exec on Cooper Flagg sweepstakes: This may be worst tanking stretch we’ve ever seen

For teams outside of the NBA postseason picture, the tank for Cooper Flagg is about to hit full force, it seems.

Flagg and his Duke Blue Devils are still alive in the NCAA Tournament, having reached the Sweet 16. But NBA teams outside of the playoffs … well, it’s time to make their move, as written by Tim Bontemps and Kevin Pelton of ESPN.

“These next few weeks,” one NBA executive told ESPN, “could be the worst tanking stretch we’ve ever seen.”

Oh, boy. That says a lot when you consider just how teams have tanked in recent seasons. For those unaware, “tanking” means doing everything you can to lose to increase your odds in the NBA Draft lottery.

“Over the final few weeks of nearly every season, there are two races in the NBA standings: one to secure playoff positioning, and another for the best draft lottery odds,” Bontemps and Pelton wrote.

“But this season — with the combination of Duke star Cooper Flagg — a generational prospect — and the usual rebuilding teams (including the Jazz, Raptors and Washington Wizards) joined by several others (the Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans) that have had their seasons cut short because of a series of injuries — the race to the bottom is breaking new ground.”

In other words, this has the potential to get ugly fast. While Flagg goes for a national title, some NBA teams are going for a title of their own — as in, the No. 1 overall draft pick.

“Despite recent rules to prevent star players from sitting out too many games, the issue of tanking won’t go away,” Bontemps and Pelton wrote. “And though NBA insiders mull new ways to curtail the practice, the league’s worst teams are finding new ways to rack up late-season losses.”