Among the ideas discussed to tweak the current system, first-round draft picks would be protected for top-four or top-14-plus selections, lottery odds would freeze at the trade deadline or a later date and teams would no longer be able to pick in the top four in consecutive years.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The \u201cinside basketball\u201d moves come in the wake of the NBA fining the Utah Jazz and the Indiana Pacers for \u201cconduct detrimental to the league\u201d after both teams recently removed star players from their lineups, according to the league<\/a>.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, more teams are implementing the practice so that they can land a top draft pick because this year\u2019s class is one of the most talented in recent memory, according to The Athletic<\/a>.<\/p>\n In his annual league address during All-Star Weekend, Silver addressed the \u201cconundrum.\u201d<\/p>\n Ethan Miller\/Getty<\/p>\n \u201cThe fundamental theory behind the draft is to help your worst-performing teams restock and be able to compete,\u201d Silver said, according to The Athletic. \u201cThe issue is, if teams are manipulating their performance in order to get higher draft picks, even in a lottery, then the question becomes \u2026 are they really the worst performing teams?<\/p>\n He added, \u201cMy sense is talking to GMs and coaches around the league that there\u2019s probably even more parity reflected in our records. And that goes to the incentive issue. \u2026 It\u2019s a bit of a conundrum.\u201d<\/p>\n With the NBA at an inflection point, one outspoken former owner said the issue shouldn\u2019t be top of mind.<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer\u200b\u200b, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n “The nba should worry more about fan experience than tanking,\u201d former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban<\/a> wrote on X<\/a> earlier this week. \u201cIt should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking.<\/p>\n He added, \u201cYou know who cares the least about tanking , a parent who cant afford to bring their 3 kids to a game and buy their kids a jersey of their fave player. Tanking isn\u2019t the issue.\u00a0 Affordability and quality of game presentation are.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Adam](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/bc65a082bc19352126121765674bfd00.jpeg\"\/)
Adam Silver and Jalen Brunson at T-Mobile Arena on Dec. 16, 2025 in Las Vegas <\/p>\n