NBA Seeks to Curb “Tanking” with New Rules
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver informed the general managers of the league’s 30 franchises that changes to the anti-tanking rules are planned for next season. The measure seeks to address the problem of “tanking”, a practice in which teams deliberately lose games to improve their chances in the draft. Conversations between the league office and various interest groups, including the board of governors and the competition committee, have intensified the dialogue on how to combat “tanking.” Possible changes have been proposed since December.- First-round draft selections could be protected only for the top four or top fourteen selections.
- Freeze lottery odds at the trade deadline or a later date.
- Not allowing a team to pick in the top four in consecutive years and/or after finishing consecutively in the bottom three.
- Preventing teams from picking in the top four the year after reaching the conference finals.
- Assign lottery odds based on two-year records.
- Extend the lottery to include all play-in teams.
- Flatten the odds for all lottery teams.
In his All-Star Weekend press conference, Silver stated that “tanking” has been “worse this year than in recent memory” and that he was considering “all possible remedies” to combat the problem.Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000, arguing that both teams left healthy players out of recent games. The league has made it clear that it will not tolerate actions that compromise its integrity.There should be a “swift” and tasteful “attack” on the problem and that everyone involved should be prepared to respond to what the league promulgates in the coming months and years.
Mike Krzyzewski, senior advisor of basketball operations for the league office
