Silver insists NBA will 'fix' tanking issue before next season, says he likes 65-game rule

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:

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.

“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.

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.”

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.”

___

AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA