Silver considers extreme sanction as NBA tanking hits ‘worst’ level
NBA commissioner Adam Silver has warned franchises that he is considering stripping teams of draft picks to combat a tanking problem he describes as the worst in recent memory.
The league chief issued the stark threat while speaking ahead of the All-Star Saturday events in Inglewood, California.
Silver admitted that current deterrents are failing to stop overt losing strategies.
He confirmed that “every possible remedy” is now on the table to address the integrity of the sport.
Analytics driving the issue
The warning follows substantial fines handed out to the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers this week for violating league policies.
Silver believes the rise of data-driven management has shifted the landscape significantly since the league’s earlier eras.
“In the old days it was just sort of an understanding among partners in terms of behavior,” Silver explained.
“I think what we’re seeing is modern analytics where it’s so clear that the incentives are misaligned.”
The commissioner was direct when asked if the deliberate underperformance of teams had reached a new low.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” he said.
“Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season.”
Rethinking the draft lottery
The 62-year-old executive revealed he recently discussed the evolution of the sport with 97-year-old Boston Celtics legend Bob Cousy.
That conversation has reinforced Silver’s belief that the 75-year-old structure of the draft may need a radical overhaul.
He questioned whether the current lottery system accurately reflects team ability or simply rewards manipulation.
“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?” asked Silver.
“It’s not clear to me, for example, that the 30th performing team is that much measurably worse than the 22nd performing team, particularly if you have incentive to perform poorly.”
Fans before franchises
The association is currently grappling with a conflict between franchise strategy and the entertainment product.
Silver acknowledged the conundrum but insisted his priority must remain with the paying public.
“It’s part of my job to remind everybody… I understand what your short-term interests may be, but we’d better not lose sight of our fans here,” he said.
“We’d better not lose sight of the people who support this league day in and day out.”