NBA Planning Rule Changes Following Recent Controversy
The NBA is set to make significant rule changes in an effort to combat tanking, and those changes could come into effect as early as the 2026-27 season.
According to ESPN, commissioner Adam Silver informed all 30 general managers that the league will institute anti-tanking rules. Silver's decision comes after the league fined two teams for lineup manipulation in recent weeks.
The Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers were each fined after sitting healthy players in games, with the league emphasizing that tactical decisions to undermine the integrity of games will not be tolerated.
Silver's tone during the meeting on Thursday was described as "forceful," which is in line with his comments during All-Star Weekend.
Commissioner Adam Silver informed the league's 30 general managers on Thursday that the NBA plans to make anti-tanking rule changes for next season, sources tell ESPN. Stakeholders have intensified dialogue about combatting tanking.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) February 19, 2026
Adam Silver's Message to Tanking Teams
"It's the whole community coming together and deciding what's in the best interest," Silver said when asked about tanking and what the league at large can do to discourage it.
"It's part of my job to remind everybody. ... I understand what your short-term interests may be, but we'd better not lose sight of our fans here. We'd better not lose sight of the people who support this league day in and day out."
Silver's decision to crack down on tanking comes after comments from current and former league owners about the problem and how to address it. Former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban suggested that the league should "embrace" tanking, while current Phoenix Suns owner Mat Ishbia offered a different perspective.
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 “strategy” is ridiculous.
— Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) February 19, 2026
If you are a bad team, you get a… https://t.co/VoUx3YEdB5
"This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers," Ishbia said in a post on social media. "Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations."
Ishbia also added that he had "complete confidence" in Silver finding a solution to the problem, and advocated for the commissioner's competency.
What Will The New Rules Look Like?
A number of potential solutions to address tanking have been floated. They include adjustments to the pick protections teams are allowed to use in trades, freezing lottery odds after a certain point in the season or even not allowing teams to pick in certain spots in successive years.
In his own message on social media, former Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban said that tanking allowed his team to draft Luka Doncic, a move that set them up for success in the future. Cuban believes fans are willing to watch a team grow and develop young players, even if it doesn't translate into instant success on the floor.
"The nba should worry more about fan experience than tanking," Cuban added. "It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking."
The NBA is celebrating a successful revamp of the All-Star Game with strong television ratings, but it seems that concentrating on the integrity of the sport itself is the league's next area of emphasis.