Adam Silver has indicated that the NBA is willing to consider abolishing the draft altogether if tanking continues to damage competitive integrity.
The commissioner addressed the issue during his annual All-Star Weekend press conference, identifying tanking as one of the league’s most significant challenges.
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Silver signalled that meaningful structural reform, including sweeping changes, remains under active consideration.
Photo by Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images
Adam Silver says tanking is worse than recent years
Adam Silver acknowledged that the league is witnessing behaviour he believes surpasses what has occurred in recent seasons. He stressed that maintaining competitive balance is essential to protecting the NBA’s credibility.
The commissioner also confirmed that league officials convened in Los Angeles to examine multiple potential solutions. He suggested the NBA is approaching the issue through a comprehensive review.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view.”
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Silver added that organisations have effectively been placed on notice. He emphasised that the league will assess the totality of each team’s conduct moving forward.
“We’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”
Draft abolition among long-term options
The Athletic reported that league officials discussed approximately ten possible remedies to combat tanking.
Although eliminating the rookie draft was not formally proposed, it could receive serious consideration if other measures prove ineffective.
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The NBA has operated with a draft system since the era of Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain. Removing it would mark one of the most significant structural changes in league history.
Silver noted that the draft is designed to help struggling teams rebuild and compete. He questioned whether that purpose is compromised if franchises manipulate outcomes to improve their lottery position.
“Part of the problem is if you step back, the fundamental theory behind a draft is to help your worst-performing teams restock and be able to compete… we want parity, but parity of opportunity.”
Eliminating the draft could, in theory, remove incentives to lose intentionally, as incoming players would evaluate teams based on stability and competitiveness. However, such a move would also raise concerns about financial and geographic disparities.
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