The conversations swirling around various teams tanking in the NBA are continually growing, with many people split on whether or not there is any way to combat teams’ losing tendencies.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been one of the most vocal proponents of punishing teams for their tanking behaviors, whether that be sitting players or making questionable in-game decisions, and he appears to be ready to take drastic action.
As The Athletic’s Joe Vardon reported, Silver and his advisors are “seriously considering” getting rid of the traditional rookie draft and instead opening the new players up to a free agency market that levels the playing field for all teams. Silver notably explained that “every possible remedy” is on the table when it comes to preventing teams from tanking.
This conversations are coming to a head amidst plenty of discourse around the league regarding tanking. The Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and New Jerseys Nets are just a few of the clubs that have been under public scrutiny from taking this season, with none of them having eclipsed the 18-win mark by the All-Star break.
Of course, others have pushed back against Silvers’ bold idea, claiming that the draft is how teams like Oklahoma City and San Antonio have been able to construct strong young cores that they can build around.
Parker is currently the sports editor for the Enterprise-Journal in McComb, Mississippi. He's a graduate from Mizzou who has experience covering the Tiger football and basketball beats for SB Nation, and he's worked for a variety of sports news outlets in the past.
