Dallas Mavericks Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images
By Michael Grant on

Some solutions are obvious; it’s just a question of whether an institution has the guts to do it.

Tanking occurs in every major sport, but nowhere is it more noticeable and common than in the NBA.

This season, the issue of teams intentionally losing regular-season games to position themselves for higher draft picks has never been more apparent. Tanking has dominated NBA media coverage so much that Adam Silver had to address the topic during All-Star weekend. Silver is considering several options, including additional fines and the removal of draft picks, and the media has offered suggestions to fix the problem.

The clearest path to stopping tanking is to remove the incentive by eliminating the draft. However, not enough media members are discussing that. Why?

Major sports have brainwashed many into believing that drafts are necessary to promote competitiveness and fairness. That’s not why drafts exist. Leagues have drafts to help limit player costs. Simply put, owners don’t trust other owners not to overspend. This obvious solution might not be easy, but it would work. If incoming players were free agents rather than going through the draft process, teams would have no reason to tank. In fact, they would be incentivized to compete to make themselves an attractive destination.

The reason tanking is so prevalent this year is that the incoming draft class is loaded with talent. But imagine how much better the NBA product would be if teams were motivated to impress the likes of Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer. There should be a reward for competitiveness, not tanking.

Some will argue that not having a draft would give big-market teams such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics an advantage, as they could sign the elite prospects. That’s not necessarily true because the league already has artificial ways to limit acquisitions. There’s still a salary cap. Also, teams have only five starters, 15 players on the roster, and one basketball. Not every rookie will be able to play for the Lakers or even necessarily want to live in these cities. 

One of the better discussions about the draft and tanking comes courtesy of The Right Time with Bomani Jones. Jones and Tom Haberstroh both made it clear that eliminating the draft is the solution.

“It’s the only way. … We can talk until we’re blue in the face about ‘What if we get rid of pick protections? What if we lock in the lottery odds on March 1? None of that is going to change things. None of that,” said Haberstroh. “The only thing that’s going to actually fundamentally change the way teams operate and not try to lose is if you take the draft out altogether.”

“People cannot imagine a world without a draft when it’s so simple,” added Jones. “If you want to try and make it about competitive redistribution, then give people the salary allotments. Then the worst team gets more (salary). We could call it National Signing Day.” 

The average fan loves the draft, and so do most leagues. Not only does it keep salaries down, but it also generates a ton of free publicity. It’s a great marketing tool. But it’s also a big part of why tanking happens. 

Perhaps things are starting to change. Joe Vardon of The Athletic reported that the league is at least considering abolishing the draft and making incoming rookies free agents. If this happens, we might be on the road to ending tanking in the NBA once and for all.

About Michael Grant

Born in Jamaica. Grew up in New York City. Lives in Louisville, Ky. Sports writer. Not related to Ulysses S. Grant.

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