NBA to Implement Anti-Tanking Rules for Next Season

League Commissioner Adam Silver says tanking problem is 'worse than ever' as more teams rest stars to improve draft odds

Mar. 1, 2026 at 5:31pm

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The NBA is planning to implement new rules to combat the growing trend of teams intentionally losing games in order to improve their chances of landing top draft picks. League Commissioner Adam Silver met with general managers and discussed ideas like protecting top draft picks, freezing lottery odds at the trade deadline, and preventing teams from picking in the top four in consecutive years. The move comes after the league fined the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for 'conduct detrimental to the league' after they rested star players, and as more teams tank to take advantage of a talented incoming draft class.

Why it matters

Tanking has become an increasingly controversial issue in the NBA, with fans and critics arguing that it undermines the integrity of the game and rewards poor performance. The league is hoping these new rules will help address the problem and ensure that the draft process remains fair and competitive.

The details

Among the ideas discussed to combat tanking, the NBA is considering protecting top-four or top-14-plus selections in the first round, freezing lottery odds at the trade deadline or a later date, and preventing teams from picking in the top four in consecutive years. The league has already fined the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for resting star players, a practice that has become more common as teams try to improve their draft position.

  • On February 19, 2026, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver met with 30 general managers to discuss the issue of tanking.
  • Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for 'conduct detrimental to the league' after they chose to rest star players.

The players

Adam Silver

The NBA Commissioner who addressed the tanking issue and is implementing new rules to combat the problem.

Mark Cuban

The former owner of the Dallas Mavericks who argued that the NBA should focus more on fan experience and affordability than tanking.

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What they’re saying

“The fundamental theory behind the draft is to help your worst-performing teams restock and be able to compete. The issue is, if teams are manipulating their performance in order to get higher draft picks, even in a lottery, then the question becomes ... are they really the worst performing teams?”

— Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner (The Athletic)

“The nba should worry more about fan experience than tanking. It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking. You know who cares the least about tanking , a parent who cant afford to bring their 3 kids to a game and buy their kids a jersey of their fave player. Tanking isn't the issue. Affordability and quality of game presentation are.”

— Mark Cuban (X)

What’s next

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The takeaway

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