Silver insists NBA will 'fix'
tanking issue before next season, says he likes 65-game rule
[March 26, 2026]
By TIM REYNOLDS
NEW YORK (AP) — Tanking is going to be addressed. The 65-game rule
might remain.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted Wednesday that the league will
change its draft process and address its tanking problem before the
start of next season. And he pointed to the league's player
participation policy — citing the effect it has had on load
management — as proof of how the league can make effective fixes.
The league's board of governors discussed tanking — the issue of
teams trying not to win in order to enhance their odds of landing
the best possible draft pick — at its two-day meeting that ended
Wednesday. No votes were taken and no fingers were pointed at any
specific teams, Silver said.
“We are going to fix it,” Silver said. “Full stop.”
Silver said the league has been working on the most recent tanking
issues for months — and noted that the NBA has addressed the problem
countless times over the years, including with several changes to
the draft and lottery process.
“I would say it seemed unanimous in the room that we needed to make
a change, and we need to make a change for next season," Silver said
at a news conference, wrapping up the two-day session with owners.
"Exactly what that change is, we’re continuing to work on. ... I
think there’s also unanimous agreement that we need to make this
change in advance of the draft and free agency this year, so all the
teams understand the rules of the road going into next year.”
The next step, Silver said, will likely be a special board meeting
in May to get something done. The league's general managers have
discussed the matter multiple times, and numerous teams have offered
some sort of suggestion about how to fix the issue.
Utah was fined $500,000 for sitting some of its best players late in
games earlier this season, including one the Jazz actually won.
Three teams — Sacramento, Indiana and Washington — have had losing
streaks of 16 games so far this season, and other teams like
Brooklyn have not been shy about saying they're looking at the
future more than the present.
“I will say I really like where the league is right now. I’m sorry
to have to talk about tanking because it takes away from the
incredible competition we’re seeing from roughly 20 teams in the
league right now, going into a wide-open playoffs, so many different
teams,” Silver said. “It’s really exciting basketball. ... Of
course, the opposite of that is when there’s a sense that both teams
aren’t out there trying to kill themselves to win a game. As I said,
we have to fix that problem.”
In other matters addressed Wednesday:
The 65-game rule
Silver responded to the National Basketball Players Association's
statement Tuesday calling for change to the 65-game rule for major
individual awards.
The NBPA, through collective bargaining, agreed to that rule as part
of the current agreement between the league and its players. It
pointed to the case of Detroit star Cade Cunningham, who would
almost certainly be an All-NBA selection this season but may fall
short of qualifying because of the 65-game threshold.
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NBA commissioner Adam Silver greets a fan during an NBA basketball
game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz, Friday,
March 13, 2026, in Portland, Ore. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane)
“We always knew when there’s a line you draw that
somebody’s going to fall on the other side of that line and it may
feel unfair in that particular instance," Silver said. "Let’s see
what happens at the end of this year. By the way, Cade Cunningham,
he’s an incredible player. I’m sorry that he’s injured and can’t
wait to see him back on the floor.
"But having said that, we also have to remember
that to the extent that one player is no longer eligible, some other
player will then be All-NBA and will slot into that spot. I’m not
ready to stand here saying, I don’t think it’s working. I think it
is working.”
The NBPA believes the rule should focus on preventing “excessive
load management,” and that precautions should be taken so players
don't miss out on deserved recognition or get forced to play when
injured just to meet a games-played standard.
WNBA deal
Silver said the NBA's governors — many of whom have a significant
stake in the WNBA as well — discussed the new collective bargaining
agreement between that league and its players.
“People were extremely happy about the fact that the collective
bargaining situation was resolved in time to save training camp and
free agency and the season,” Silver said.
Silver was asked if he thought WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert
would keep that role after the 2026 season.
“We haven’t had those discussions yet with the WNBA board," Silver
said. “I would obviously say Cathy’s done a fantastic job since
she’s come to the WNBA. ... I would say the results speak for
themselves. I’m very happy, and I know the ownership is very happy
with where things stand.”
Blazers sale
Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon's agreement to buy the Portland
Trail Blazers from Paul Allen's estate could be finalized in the
next few days. Dundon was at the board meeting on Tuesday,
presumably one of the final steps in the process before the
governors give their blessing.
“He’s a go-getter,” Silver said. “He’s got a great reputation as
sort of leading a turnaround in the NHL. He certainly has enormous
passion and spirit. He wants to be successful. He wants to be
successful both as a businessman in Portland, and he wants to be
successful with the team on the floor.”
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