Adam Silver didn’t dance around it. The NBA commissioner said outright that the league’s tanking problem got so bad that roughly a third of teams were actively trying to lose. And that’s what finally forced change.
Speaking before the 2026 NBA Draft, Silver revisited the decision to implement new anti-tanking rules starting with the 2027 draft. According to insider Brett Siegel, Silver admitted the incentive to lose had become too powerful. Too many teams were playing the long game, and the league couldn’t ignore it anymore.
“We will not be returning to a system where there is an incentive to be bad. It caught up to us through the years,” Silver said. “Once a third of our teams were acting under those incentives, everyone came together.”
How Did We Get Here?
The tanking debate isn’t new. Fans and analysts have complained for years about teams blatantly sitting healthy players or fielding lineups that looked designed to lose. The 2023 Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes was probably the most obvious example. Multiple teams went all-in on losing, and it was ugly. But the league didn’t move until Silver said a third of teams were in on it.
The new rules, which take effect for the 2027 draft, are supposed to flatten the incentive structure. The NBA hasn’t released all the details yet, but the goal is clear: stop rewarding failure. Teams that lose on purpose won’t see the same draft payoff they used to.
What Happens Next
This story is still developing. More information about the exact mechanics of the anti-tanking system is expected soon. But Silver’s comments make one thing clear — the league knows it had a problem, and it’s finally doing something about it. Whether the new rules actually work is another question. But for now, the message is out: tanking as we knew it is over.
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