Tanking has fueled discussion throughout the 2026 NBA season, filling up newspaper columns and social media feeds alike as one of basketball's leading storylines.
There are a handful of sides that have been accused of performing the purportedly sinful task of putting out lackluster lineups in recent months. The Kings, Jazz, Wizards, Pacers and Nets have all toiled throughout the regular season. Their struggles have frustrated many across the basketball landscape, including NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The 63-year-old appears to have his sights set on striking down the contentious method of accruing draft capital. On Friday, reports emerged suggesting the league office was prepared to send a trio of proposals to its Board of Governors in the hopes of finding a solution to the so-called problem.
With that, here's what you need to know about the NBA's alleged anti-tanking proposals.
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NBA anti-tanking proposals
The NBA is taking marked steps in its attempt to flush out tanking in the coming few seasons, crafting a trio of proposals in the hopes of sending the polarizing practice to the dustbin of history. Here's a look at the three "comprehensive" anti-tanking concepts presented by the league towards the Board of Governors on March 25. The NBA will hold a formal vote on the matter in May, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
Proposal 1
The first option sees four more teams enter the draft lottery, with the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds also deemed eligible to land a lottery pick. Draft odds will be flattened across the board, according to Charania — the league's 10 worst sides by record will have matching 8% chances of obtaining the No. 1 pick. The remaining 20% odds will then be disbursed in decreasing order from No. 11-No. 18. The odds for the 11th-worst team in the NBA would be higher than the odds for the 12th-worst team in the NBA, and so on. A lottery would be conducted to determine the running order for all 18 picks.
Such a proposal figures to level the playing field among lottery-bound sides, with no discernible difference between landing the worst record in the league and the 10th-worst record in the league. In theory, that should eradicate tanking, although it could push teams to settle for mediocrity rather than attempting to earn a postseason berth as a fringe side. Additionally, this method could put a cap on the amount of talent the league's worst sides add to their ranks, leaving them in NBA purgatory for far longer than one would hope for.
Proposal 2
In the second proposal, 22 sides would be deemed lottery-eligible — the seven sides from each conference who failed to make the postseason, plus the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds from each conference, plus the four sides who failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in each conference. Teams' odds would be based on their two-year records — similar to the method in the WNBA Draft Lottery.
In proposal No. 2, lottery teams must reach a minimum win floor in each season, such as 25 wins. If a team falls short of that mark, it is slotted to meet the floor. The lottery, then, determines only the top-four picks, same as is present nowadays.
Proposal 3
The third and final proposal would also involve 18 teams, same as in proposal No. 1. This process features a "5 by 5" lottery. That means the bottom five teams in the league standings have matching odds to land the No. 1 pick.
The lottery is used to determine the order of the first five picks, with the five-worst teams by record having a lottery floor of 10. The sides who drop out of the top-five are sorted in a separate drawing to determine where they land in the top-10.
What is tanking in the NBA?
Tanking refers to the process of intentionally losing games in the NBA. It does not mean players are intentionally trying to lose games while on the floor. Rather, it means front offices deliberately try to obtain lackluster talent and put out uninspiring rosters and lineups in the hopes of dropping games, tumbling down the NBA standings and securing a strong draft position.
Are there rules against tanking now?
Tanking is fairly commonplace, with precious little regulation to prevent it. Teams have been subjected to occasional penalties if they are found to "prioritize draft position over winning" and "undermine the foundation of NBA competition", according to Silver.
In February, the Pacers and Jazz were docked $100,000 and $500,000, respectively, after being found to have violated league rules related to competitiveness.