PHOENIX (AZFamily) \u2014 The owner of the Phoenix Suns is sounding off on multiple other teams reportedly tanking their record to get a better pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. <\/p>\n
Suns majority owner Mat Ishbia criticized teams that tank for better draft position, calling the practice \u201closing behavior done by losers\u201d in a social media response to an article ranking teams by their tanking efforts.<\/p>\n
\u201cTanking is losing behavior done by losers. Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with,\u201d Ishbia said on social media. <\/p>\n
Ishbia added that tanking is \u201cmuch worse than any prop bet scandal\u201d and called it \u201cthrowing games strategically.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is horrible for fans that pay to watch and cheer on their team,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a \u201cstrategy\u201d is ridiculous. <\/p>\n
If you are a bad team, you get a\u2026 https:\/\/t.co\/VoUx3YEdB5<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) February 19, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n Recent fines and league response<\/p>\n The Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers were fined last week for tanking behaviors, paying $500,000 and $100,000 respectively.<\/p>\n NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement that teams prioritizing draft position over winning \u201cundermines the foundation of NBA competition.\u201d<\/p>\n Silver discussed potential changes during last week\u2019s All-Star events, but he did not offer specifics.<\/p>\n \u201cDoing whatever we can to remind them of what their obligation is to the fans and to their partner teams,\u201d Silver said. \u201cBut number two, as I also said in that statement, the competition committee started earlier this year reexamining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works, and ultimately any changes will require a vote of the board of governors.\u201d<\/p>\n Silver acknowledged that the perception of a deep 2026 draft class compared to weaker future classes is affecting team behavior.<\/p>\n With about two months left in the NBA season, several teams have shut down star players for the remainder of the year to secure better draft picks. <\/p>\n See a spelling or grammatical error in our story? Please click here to report it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Do you have a photo or video of a breaking news story? Send it to us here<\/a> with a brief description.<\/p>\n Copyright 2026 KTVK\/KPHO. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n