NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated during his All-Star media availability that the league is exploring every possible remedy to curb tanking, following recent fines against the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers. The Jazz were fined $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after benching healthy starters in a winnable game, while the Pacers received a $100,000 penalty for violating the player participation policy by holding out healthy players. Silver emphasized that such overt behavior undermines the foundation of NBA competition.
The tanking issue has dominated discussions throughout the 2025-26 NBA season, despite previous reforms like the 2019 lottery changes that flattened odds and limited teams to dropping no more than four spots. These adjustments aimed to discourage intentional losses but have instead intensified incentives for teams in the middle of the standings to underperform, as evidenced by the last two lottery winners being play-in teams.
At the All-Star Weekend press conference in Los Angeles, Silver acknowledged the problem's severity, noting it is worse than ever. He said, "Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition, and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games." Earlier, in a league statement, he added that the NBA would consider "every possible remedy… to stop this behavior."
The fines against the Jazz and Pacers, issued last week before the All-Star break, highlight the league's current approach. The Jazz's actions involved resting key players in a game they could have won, while the Pacers failed to meet minimum participation requirements for eligible athletes. Such measures, including prior lottery reforms and the introduction of the play-in tournament, have not fully resolved the issue, prompting reports of further explorations like altering pick protections or end-of-season cutoffs.
Silver's comments come amid a season where tanking remains a self-inflicted wound, with historical precedents dating back decades, such as the Houston Rockets' tactics in 1984 to draft Hakeem Olajuwon. The league continues to balance competitive integrity with entertainment value, though no specific new solutions were announced.
