NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at a press conference during the 2026 All-Star Weekend. Silver has been extremely adamant about eliminating tanking through any means necessary.

The 2026 NBA draft is set to be stacked with potential stars, such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Arkansas’ own Darius Acuff Jr. lining the top prospects this year. With this amount of talent, teams are doing whatever it takes to get a chance to add them to their roster.

Including, unfortunately, purposefully losing games to boost draft odds. 

Also known as tanking, this tactic has gained much more traction during the 2025-26 NBA season due to the sheer amount of talent in the draft. From resting healthy players to minute restrictions on players even when they do suit up, fans across the league who pay hard-earned money to watch their favorite players are infuriated at what has been deemed an unethical way to gain success in the NBA.

During a press conference preceding this year’s NBA All-Star game, league commissioner Adam Silver announced his campaign to fight against tanking, creating rules for next season that outline ways intended to prevent intentional losing. In terms of pushing back against it this season, he’s already dealt out fines towards the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for resting players the league deemed healthy for play. 

However, this is fighting a scapegoat that is more complicated than what is being targeted. While intentionally losing cheapens the entertainment that fans pay a pretty penny for, there is an issue behind the tactic that has more of an impact on the league: the 82-game, nine-month NBA season.

With so many games and a season that spans almost three quarters of the calendar year, the league effectively lessens the competitive value of each contest. Losing two games in an NBA season is not a big deal compared to the NFL’s shorter season, where two games can spell a team’s doom when it comes to making the playoffs. There isn’t as much pressure to win during the regular season when there are 82 opportunities to climb the conference standings. 

Shortening the season would give more incentive for teams to go out and try to win as there is more importance placed on each individual game. Needing to win less overall to make the playoffs can increase a team’s drive to make it to the postseason, as it feels more obtainable in the scope of the season. 

Having 82 games in a single season where teams play multiple games in a week from late September to mid June is also extremely taxing on players, especially in a high-intensity game such as basketball. 

This led to another major issue in the NBA as of late: rampant injuries. 

82 games in a season puts a lot of stress and mileage on players’ bodies and gives more of a reason for teams to rest players, even if they aren’t intentionally throwing away a matchup. 

But the season’s length leaves far too much room for teams to get away with tanking behavior and explain it away with a plan for future success. 

If there isn’t enough rest for players allotted by the league, injuries will continue to plague the league like they currently do. By forcing players who may not be at 100% to play each game, even when the team knows there may be a bigger risk in them playing, it leads to star players’ seasons ending early and lessens the value of a team’s season.

While a longer season puts more stress and work on players, it doesn’t pay off for the main audience of the league. Having multiple games to keep up with in a week deters fans from trying to keep up with every matchup from an NBA team. The regular season has become more of a side piece to the playoffs for fans because of the ungodly amount of games that are riddled throughout the year. 

For the sake of players, coaches and fans, the NBA should focus more on improving the season schedule instead of targeting teams that are falling in standings for tanking. It is just as much of a threat to the entertainment value of the league as intentionally losing.

Categories: Sports