NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announces upcoming modifications to the draft system.
NEW YORK — NBA commissioner Adam Silver emphasized on Wednesday that addressing tanking is his primary focus and that significant modifications to the league’s draft system will be implemented to mitigate this issue in the future.
“Ultimately, I believe this is a decision that must be made at the ownership level,” Silver stated after a two-day NBA Board of Governors meeting. “It carries business implications, basketball implications, and integrity implications for the league.”
“Therefore, it is a matter we take very seriously, and we are committed to resolving it. Full stop.”
The concern regarding tanking has intensified this season due to the highly regarded 2026 NBA draft class and the current incentives that encourage teams in the lottery to do everything possible to enhance their chances in the NBA’s Draft Lottery each spring, as Silver noted.
In a move that highlights the urgency of the situation, Silver announced that the NBA will convene a special Board of Governors meeting in May to tackle the issue, ensuring teams are informed of the forthcoming rules ahead of the offseason.
“Certainly, as we approach next season, the incentives will be entirely different from what they are now,” Silver remarked.
The commissioner acknowledged the challenge in determining whether teams are genuinely struggling and rebuilding or if they are manipulating the system to improve their draft position artificially.
“There is a component of team building referred to as a genuine rebuild, a rebuild conducted with integrity,” Silver explained.
“The current dilemma is that it has become nearly impossible to differentiate between tanking and rebuilding.”
“There is a subtlety to this when incentives do not align, especially when we consider coaches’ decisions regarding lineups, player rotations, injuries, and medical evaluations. My sense is that when I say we need to fix this now, we require more drastic measures than the incremental changes made in the past four instances.”
“I will say, I genuinely appreciate where the league stands at this moment because it is unfortunate to discuss tanking, as it detracts from the remarkable competition we are witnessing from approximately 20 teams in the league as we head into a wide-open playoffs … It’s truly exciting basketball. What is remarkable about live sports at this level — and this trend extends beyond the NBA, as we observe a rising tide among all premium sports — is that there is a strong demand for live, unscripted drama. Conversely, the opposite occurs when there is a perception that both teams are not fully committed to winning a game. Thus, as I mentioned, we must address that issue.”
Silver indicated that in addition to any changes made during the May BOG meeting, further adjustments could arise when the collective bargaining agreement is revisited as the current deal approaches its expiration toward the end of the decade.
Also on Wednesday:
β’ Silver responded to two statements released by the National Basketball Players Association on Tuesday.
One statement concerned Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and his intention to return to play for Milwaukee this season despite a left knee injury that has kept him out since March 15.
Silver mentioned that prior to the NBPA’s statement, the league was unaware of the situation.
“We were aware that Giannis was injured,” Silver said. “He was within the typical recovery period for that injury. Therefore, I was somewhat surprised by that press release.”
He later added that the league would investigate the matter, but so far, it had not received any communication from Antetokounmpo regarding it.
The other NBPA statement addressed Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham and the 65-game requirement for end-of-season awards. Cunningham will miss the remainder of the regular season due to a collapsed lung, making him ineligible for any of those awards.
Silver expressed sympathy for Cunningham and his injury but believes the rule is functioning as intended.
“A few years ago, when I was addressing all of you, the topic was not tanking; it was load management,” he noted. “You were asking, ‘What are you going to do about the fact that star players are not participating in enough games?’ We implemented several measures, one of which, in agreement with the players association, was to establish a 65-game rule to ensure that players must participate in those games to be eligible for MVP or All-NBA or All-Defense honors. We always anticipated that when a line is drawn, someone would fall on the other side, which may seem unfair in that specific case.
“I believe [the rule] is effective. If you examine the statistics prior to the implementation of this rule, the numbers were trending in the wrong direction … There will always be new challenges, but I am not prepared to assert today that because one player may feel unfairly treated, it indicates that the rule is ineffective.”
β’ Silver stated that he has not yet engaged in discussions with the WNBA Board of Governors regarding whether commissioner Cathy Engelbert will continue in her role after this year.
“I can only say that Cathy has done an excellent job since her arrival at the WNBA,” Silver remarked. “The results are evident, but I have not had recent discussions with Cathy regarding her future plans and how long she intends to remain in this position. She had a distinguished career prior to joining the WNBA as a CEO at Deloitte, but I would assert that the results speak for themselves. I am very pleased, and I know that ownership is also very satisfied with the current state of affairs.”
