The NBA is looking for answers on tanking. The players may have a few of their own.
According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line, the National Basketball Players Association has proposed a three-part plan as the league considers rule changes ahead of next season. Unlike some of the league’s ideas, this one mixes structure with accountability.
Start with the lottery. The union is on board with flattening odds and expanding the field to 18 teams, including play-in clubs. But it wants tweaks.
Rather than 8% odds for the bottom 10 teams, the NBPA prefers 7%. It also wants flat odds for teams 11 through 18, instead of the usual drop-off.
In other words, less incentive to bottom out.
Then there’s enforcement. The union supports stricter penalties for teams that blatantly tank. Fischer reports potential punishments could include moving a team’s pick to the end of the lottery or even the first round, reducing lottery odds, or issuing significant fines.
The message is simple: If you’re not trying to win, it should cost you.
And then there’s the wild card. The NBPA has suggested tying revenue to performance. Teams that win more would receive a larger share of national TV money, similar to how European soccer leagues operate.
That would be a major shift. It would also require changes to the NBA’s current revenue-sharing model, making it a long shot for now. Still, it’s notable.
The league has ideas. The players do too.
And as Adam Silver keeps saying, something is coming. The question remains what actually works.
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