Silver Promises Action On Tanking
NBA commissioner Adam Silver says the league will introduce a solution to tanking before next season starts.
Silver made that clear on Wednesday after the NBA board of governors meeting, where team owners also received updates on league expansion and Europe league plans. He said the NBA wants changes agreed before the 2026-2027 campaign begins.
NBA Wants Rule Changes By June
Silver said the league now sees tanking as a serious problem. He added that the board had a long discussion about how draft incentives may be encouraging teams to lose games on purpose.
According to Silver, the NBA will likely hold a special board of governors meeting in May. That meeting should help finalize changes before June, so every franchise understands the rules ahead of next season. He stressed that the issue affects competition, business, and the league’s integrity.
The commissioner also admitted this season may feel worse because of the perception that the upcoming NBA Draft class is especially deep. That, combined with advanced analytics, has increased the temptation for struggling teams to prioritize draft position over winning.
Why The NBA Is Worried
Teams with the worst records still get the best odds in the draft lottery. That system was designed to help weaker teams rebuild. However, Silver now believes some clubs may be responding too strongly to those incentives.
The NBA already fined the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers earlier this year for sitting healthy players in ways the league believed compromised competitive integrity. Silver said the NBA will continue reviewing all possible remedies, including stronger punishments and structural draft changes.
Europe League Talks Continue
Alongside the tanking issue, Silver also updated owners on the NBA’s Europe league project.
He said the NBA wants any future European competition to work with the existing basketball structure rather than compete against it. That means involving EuroLeague, FIBA, and national domestic leagues if possible. Silver described that as the best long-term outcome for basketball in Europe.
Silver added that the Europe project is still in its early stages and remains a long-term plan. Previous NBA and FIBA discussions outlined a model that could include 16 teams, with interest from multiple major European markets.
Expansion And Europe Remain Separate Tracks
Silver also explained that the NBA is treating domestic expansion and the Europe league as separate projects.
He said the league is still reviewing future expansion opportunities in places like Las Vegas and Seattle, but those talks involve different financial and structural questions from the Europe plans. He has already said the NBA expects to make a domestic expansion decision sometime in 2026.
What Happens Next
For now, the clearest message from Silver is that the NBA will not carry the current tanking system into next season unchanged.
The league still has to agree on the exact solution. But Silver’s comments show the NBA believes the current incentives are no longer working and is now preparing to intervene before the next draft race begins.
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