Tanking has been a huge talking point this NBA season. It’s not a new talking point, to be sure. Intentionally losing for the purposes of securing a high draft pick is one of the loudest annual complaints around the modern NBA. But the issue apparently hit critical mass this season for commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s governors.
A loaded 2026 draft class has resulted in eight teams engaging in tanking for the second half of the 2025–26 season. To be specific: the Pacers, Nets, Wizards and Jazz all began the season fully intending to tank for different reasons. As the year progressed the Grizzlies, Mavericks and Kings joined them as their respective seasons collapsed early on. The competitive race to the bottom has resulted in incredibly blatant efforts to lose. Complaints from fans and media have never been louder.
