During a press conference, Adam Silver made some insightful comments regarding the issue of tanking in the NBA. The league imposed substantial fines on the Jazz and Pacers due to their efforts to influence game outcomes by resting key players. Nevertheless, management understands that teams would incur financial repercussions due to the incentive. A high draft pick is awarded to these teams. This implies that losing serves a purpose for teams that are not currently vying for victory.

Silver doesn’t want to shift the traditional draft methods. The NBA Commissioner openly said all means are being discussed to stop the tanking wave. That means considering the very extremes. That could mean dismantling the draft altogether and taking away the prize for losing.

“However, if Silver and his advisers decided the only way to stop tanking, and thereby protect paying customers from forking over money to watch their teams lose on purpose, was to stop the draft altogether and turn rookies into free agents, that same league official said it would get serious consideration,” The Athletic’s Joe Vardon wrote.

That’s not a change that will come right now. But the fact that it’s being considered underscores how bad the problem really is. Adam Silver says it’s reached a worse extent than what they’ve seen in the past years. In an intentional meeting, league officials decided on about 10 solutions to gain some control over the situation.

Abolishing the draft wasn’t one of them. However, fans aren’t focused on the timeline. They are abhorred by the fact that Silver would even consider crushing the iconic draft tradition.

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NBA fans react to Adam Silver’s tanking solution

Fans couldn’t imagine the draft system being stripped away altogether. Despite tanking having an enormous impact on the league, they are taking a stand against Silver. A fan wrote, “Yeah if he does that, he needs to be fired”.

The fact of the matter is, Adam Silver doesn’t want to resort to any of these measures. But he knows teams have grown beyond being affected by monetary fines. The commissioner wants to create an ethical, even playing field. But fans would accept any measure except destroying the tradition.

“Perfect way to ruin a childhood dream. I’m sick of Silver man,” another fan wrote. For aspiring hoopers, walking down that stage is a moment to cherish. Turning them into free agents means diving into the business without going through the draft process and finding the right setting.

“Adam Silver is the worst commissioner I’ve ever seen in any sport ever,” a fan said about the reports. The NBA has reached a point where teams aren’t just losing games. They are trading for injured stars, knowing they won’t play, such as Anthony Davis to the Wizards. That gives them a star-studded roster and a higher draft pick due to a poor record.

The bottom line is that such practices need to be stopped. Although fans are angry, with some saying, “Nah. He needs to go. He’s making everything worse. Get this bum out of my league”, Silver’s hands are also tied. It started with punitive fines. The immediate next step won’t be altering the draft system. Silver has also discussed taking away picks from teams intentionally tanking.

It’s not going get to an extreme point unless teams resist improvement through punishment. Nobody wants the draft to be taken away. Another safety net is that team owners and players have to agree to the change. But if the situation doesn’t improve, harsh measures could be the most convincing way to stop the problem. Take away the reward, and teams lose a reason to tank.