The Washington Wizards have been the worst team in the Eastern Conference for the last five years. For the third time in a row, they are among the worst teams in the league. However, the Wizards are reportedly increasing their ticket prices for the second year in a row. According to reports obtained by Buller Forever, the ticket prices are set to rise by an average of 6.31% for the upcoming season.

The update comes at a time when the Wizards are trying to tank for the second consecutive season, and Charles Barkley wasn’t happy. While Silver and his team are exploring ideas to curb tanking, Barkley came up with a valuable tip. There are at least nine teams in the league that are actively trying to lose games this season in the quest to move up in the draft picks. While it can address talent gaps in teams and increase their chances of competing in the next few seasons, fans have truly nothing to root for.

“The elephant in the room is this tanking situation we’ve got going on in the NBA. You see what they’re doing in Utah. You see what they’re doing in D.C. Now you’ve got the Mavs sort of tanking,” the NBA legend said on NBA on ESPN. “We’ve got to come up with some type of solution because it’s not fair to the game, first and foremost. It’s not fair to your fan base.”

Competition lies at the heart of sports, and that’s how stars are born, and so is the large fanbase. Barkley was uncomfortable with the idea of teams actively trying to lose games. For the Phoenix Suns legend, the NBA should implement financial regulations to prevent tanking. And if so, forcing them to incentivize their loyal fanbase.

“I’ve always suggested this rule. I don’t think any NBA team should be able to raise their ticket prices if they’re below .500. I think they should make that a rule in every sport, to be honest with you. Even if you’re still trying to tank, you can’t raise your ticket prices. Then you’re getting your cake and eating it, too. You should not be able to try to lose,” Barkley added.

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“I’ve said there are two things. Number one, every team in the lottery should get one ping pong ball. They shouldn’t give you more balls. Because the team that had the worst record, I think, has only gotten the number one pick like two out of 25 years. Give everybody one ping pong ball if you don’t make the playoffs. Also, this is another one. If you trade a pick, it’s gone. Because now teams can manipulate if it falls in the top three or four or top seven protected.”

There is a broad consensus in the NBA that tanking has threatened the league’s integrity. In the last few weeks, the discussion has gained momentum, and Adam Silver has made it clear that the league’s front office is considering “every remedy” to address the situation.

Adam Silver admits the NBA’s “incentives” system is flawed

According to John Hollinger, in some European soccer leagues, the incentive system works like the NBA, but with a little twist. All teams play one-third of the season like a regular season in the NBA. Post that, in the last part of the season, the league bifurcates teams. Top teams play one another, and bottom teams play one another. The twist is that the bottom teams move up in the lottery draft order. It’s a simple idea that solves the non-competition issue.

During the All-Star break, Adam Silver admitted that the league’s incentive idea was flawed. According to the NBA Commissioner, the league’s incentives don’t “necessarily make sense.”

“The incentives are not necessarily matched here,” Silver said. “I think the tradition in sports where the worst-performing team receives the first pick from their partners, when any economist comes and looks at our system, they always point out: You have the incentives backwards there.

Perhaps the most outrageous part of tanking is how it prevents fans from watching talented athletes compete against the best players in the league. The NBA should address it as soon as possible, and before fans start emptying the arena, especially when the worst teams in the league demand money without giving fans what they came for.