The NBA’s Tanking Problem Has No Easy Fixes

Forbes Business

by Bryan Toporek, Senior Contributor

February 20, 2026

AI-Generated Deep Dive Summary

The NBA's tanking problem has become a significant challenge with no easy solutions. Teams are struggling to balance rewarding those who organically perform poorly while punishing those intentionally tanking to secure higher draft picks. This issue has sparked debates over how to maintain league integrity and competitiveness, impacting both on-court performance and business interests like revenue and fan engagement. Tanking refers to teams deliberately underperforming to obtain high-value draft picks, which can disrupt competitive balance. The current system rewards teams with the worst records by giving them top selections in the NBA Draft Lottery. However, critics argue this incentivizes intentional tanking, leading to accusations of manipulation and undermining the league's credibility. Proposed solutions aim to address these challenges while preserving incentives for poor-performing teams that aren't tanking intentionally. One idea involves a sliding scale where teams with better records receive slightly higher draft positions than their record would otherwise merit. Another concept is rewarding teams with worse records but not in last place by offering additional draft compensation or guaranteed lottery slots. These solutions must consider the complexities of team dynamics and revenue sharing. Intentional tanking can alienate fans, affecting ticket sales and sponsorships

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Originally published on Forbes Business on 2/20/2026