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Most people assume the NBA will do something to stop the massive tanking going on at the bottom of the standings. However, a new report suggests there isn’t much traction in the league for potential reforms.

Tanking is nothing new in the NBA. However, the 2026 NBA Draft is projected to be one of the best prospect classes in years, with nearly a dozen teams fully embracing the strategy in the final two minutes of the season. It’s gotten to the point where teams like the Utah Jazz have even inserted healthy impact players in the fourth quarter to ensure a loss.

This has disappointed NBA fans and infuriated Commissioner Adam Silver. Now, preventing the 2026 fight from happening in future seasons is a top priority for the governors, and late last month, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed three ideas to be presented at the next governors meeting in an effort to end the practice.

All three proposals expand the lottery to 18 teams and level the NBA lottery odds to varying degrees, and include other elements. Nevertheless, the trio of ideas is not gaining popularity in the game. “None of them have been embraced very warmly around the league,” sources told ESPN’s Anthony Slater.

General Manager explains why tanking works, even though it’s ugly

Slater’s new report details the current tanking drama and shows why many people associated with the idea hate the practice. This also includes coaches and players who want to improve their value before entering NBA free agency. However, while this practice is an ugly one, there are many around the game who feel it is a working formula, including one Western Conference general manager.

“These teams are doing a whole lot of work: sitting guys on fourth down, playing bad lineups analytically, setting up plays for bad shots,” the West GM told Slater. “Creativity is impressive, and I don’t blame them. It’s the best strategy for getting better.”

“Look at all the most promising teams in the league: the Oklahoma City Thunder, the San Antonio Spurs, the Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets, the Charlotte Hornets. After years of being bad and building on high picks. It’s painful but worthwhile.”

For NBA fans and those inside the league who hate the growing practice of tanking, it certainly doesn’t seem like there’s much momentum behind making serious improvements any time soon.

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

A new report suggests that many around the NBA are hoping to use the rumored option to end tanking, with the players union favoring instituting new ideas.

Tanking is nothing new in the NBA. However, with the 2026 NBA Draft projected to be one of the best prospect classes in many years, nearly a dozen teams have fully embraced the strategy in the final two minutes of the season. It’s gotten to the point where teams like the Utah Jazz have even inserted healthy impact players in the fourth quarter to ensure a loss.

This has disappointed NBA fans and infuriated Commissioner Adam Silver. Now, preventing the 2026 battle for the bottom tier from happening in future seasons is a top priority. This week, ESPN’s Shams Charania revealed three ideas to be presented at the next Board of Governors meeting in an effort to end the practice.

On Saturday, Jake Fisher provided new insight on what opinion is around the league on those three ideas. According to an NBA insider, two popular ideas are expected to be introduced, with the 10 teams left out of the play-ins all having an 8% chance at the No. 1 pick. “This perception was strong among many general managers and owners even before the Board of Governors convened,” Fisher wrote.

Many also liked the idea of ​​expanding the lottery to 18 teams to include play-in participants. Fisher also said that “the league has expectations.” [having 18 clubs] “Teams will be encouraged to remain competitive through the end of the regular season.”

NBAPA wants to use EPL model to encourage winning

The insider reports that the three ideas are just concepts, and the one the league decides to go with could be a blend of parts of the three pitches.

Fisher also said that if the 18-team idea is used, players would like to see “the 10-worst teams share a 7% chance at No. 1, rather than 8%. The top selection is shared with the other eight teams in the lottery at a 3.75% chance.”

Additionally, players would like to see the NBA copy the English Premier League model to encourage winning. In that setup, franchises “could get an additional $10 million slice of the league’s national television revenue depending on where teams finish from 1 to 30 in the standings.”

After earning a journalism degree in 2017, Jason Burgos worked as a contributor to several sites, including MMA Sacca… More about Jason Burgos

Tanking has become a hot issue in the NBA, as it has been a controversial discussion for many years. Teams that are not in the mix for the playoffs keep their star players on the bench in hopes of losing and improving their chances of obtaining a high-value draft pick. On Wednesday, Commissioner Adam Silver claimed that the league is going to resolve the issue soon.

According to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel, during the NBA Board of Governors press conference, Silver claimed the league is going to hold a meeting to potentially make changes to the tanking rule in May. If passed, the rules will be in effect for the 2026–27 season.

“NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said at his NBA Board of Governors press conference that there will be a ‘special meeting’ in May to address and discuss the issue of tanking and potential rule changes for the 2026-27 season,” Siegel said.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, reports indicate that the meetings will discuss potential lottery reforms that could impact the upcoming offseason. It seems the 64-year-old soon-to-be commissioner wants the change to be made as soon as possible.

Stein reported, “Adam Silver says a special meeting of the Board of Governors will be called in May to vote on lottery reforms to take effect for the 2026-27 season, and ahead of this summer’s upcoming draft and free agency.” “‘We’re going to fix it … full stop,’ Silver says about addressing tanking.”

While there are questions being raised about competitiveness right now, according to Siegel, Silver thinks adding two new franchises could help. The NBA is looking to address the tanking issue, and Adam Silver sees no problem with increasing the size of the league from 30 teams to 32.

“We have enough talent to field 32 teams,” Silver said. “When we just did the 2-team expansion, 6% of the players were international. That’s 30% now… Tanking is a confusing thing and we study it… I’m not worried about the caliber of 32 competing teams.”

The NBA will likely announce the outcome of the meetings in late May. If changes are made, we could see them impact the 2026 NBA Draft.

If you’re feeling very frustrated with your job, just be thankful you’re not coach Doc Rivers of the Milwaukee Bucks.

Rivers may have lost his voice again after the Bucks suffered an embarrassing 128-96 loss to the Utah Jazz at the Delta Center on Thursday. At one point, Milwaukee was down by 37 points.

The Bucks got off to a sluggish start, with the Jazz outscoring them 30–19 in the first quarter. It was all downhill from there, as they fell to 28–41 in a deer in headlights season.

As Eric Nehm of The Athletic reported, Rivers was brutally honest about his performance after the game.

“We played very badly. Didn’t play with any competitive spirit tonight.”

The Bucks shot only 41% from the floor and were outrebounded 47-35. They reduced their turnovers by 28 points.

When you can’t beat a team that’s already staring at defeat, something is very wrong.

“I thought the first group set the tone. I thought the first group arrived, and everybody in that group was trying to score. It’s so fun, we had a great shootaround today where the ball was moving around. Everything was second act,” Rivers said.

“The first six times, the guy who was supposed to go (in the second act) kept it intact. But at the end of the day, the onus is on me to play them the right way.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo missed the game due to injury management. It was recently reported that the Bucks wanted to lock up Antetokounmpo for the remainder of the season, but the two-time MVP refused.

Ryan Rollins led Milwaukee with 15 points, three rebounds and five assists, while Cam Thomas had 14 points, two rebounds and four assists off the bench.

Michael Porter Jr. broke his podcast hiatus last week. When asked about the No. 1 rule change he’d like to see the NBA make, the Brooklyn Nets forward pointed to the league’s tanking pandemic.

Porter said on The Emily Austin Show, “They have to do something about this tanking situation. I don’t like that teams are intentionally trying to tank just to get a good draft pick.” “I think ruining the entire NBA season is no way to go. It’s not very ethical for the game. People pay a lot of money to see the best players in the world compete, and you want to see teams compete to their full potential every night, and when teams keep doing the same things they’re doing these days, it can be tough… I understand rebuilding teams, but I think there’s an ethical way to do it and a non-ethical way to do it. So hopefully that “They can change it, I just feel like the best players are on the field every night.”

After several intense playoff runs with the Denver Nuggets, Porter is experiencing his first rebuild this season.

Michael Porter Jr. urges NBA to fix tanking amid historic draft lottery race

Tanking has been the most talked about problem around the NBA over the past few months. The Nets are one of the third players in the league to have the top pick in the 2026 draft.

The decline in quality of play during the final months of the season has been a topic of discussion for years. However, the issue became acute as the trade deadline began this year.

The outcry from fans, media, and others led Adam Silver and the league office to predict significant rule changes the following season.

“We’re going to make substantial changes for next year,” Silver told Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic, speaking on a panel at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. “I think that’s where I’m at – at one extreme, you could completely separate the draft from teams’ records. Just make the argument that we could take all 30 teams regardless of the outcome, which would completely discourage tanking. You could win the finals, you know, and get the first pick. But then there’s also gradation.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league office are in the process of developing new anti-tanking rules for the 2026-27 season. In addition to contacting all 30 general managers in the league about the issue after the All-Star break in February, Silver talked about the idea of ​​tanking throughout the league and what he plans to do about it on Friday.

“We’re going to make substantial changes for next year,” Silver said at the MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference in Boston on Friday morning, per Mike Vorkunov and Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “On the one hand, you could completely separate the draft from teams’ records… That would be a huge shock to the system. We can’t completely predict where we’re going to go, but I’m an incrementalist.”

In conversations with the Board of Governors, Competition Committee and league general managers, Silver and the NBA have begun discussing several concepts to end tanking.

Some of the changes discussed in talks include modifying the way pick protection works, freezing lottery odds on a specific date in the season, eliminating the possibility of teams receiving the top four picks in consecutive years, allocating lottery odds based on a two-year window, leveling the odds for all teams, etc.

This new concept, proposed and discussed by Silver in Boston on Friday, would certainly be a “substantial change,” as first-round draft picks would no longer be determined by where all 30 teams finish in the final standings. Essentially, this will make tanking irrelevant as trying to lose games to get a better draft pick will no longer be relevant.

At this time, it’s unclear what exactly the league’s anti-tanking rules will change. Silver was simply giving a glimpse of what some of the topics being discussed are and what scrimmages may be on the horizon ahead of the 2026-27 season.

Adam Silver, the NBA is already punishing tanking

While the league continues to evaluate the tanking scenario and changes that need to be made, Silver acknowledged there is a difference between organizations that are rebuilding and those that have already lost a season.

The NBA does not want to punish teams for playing their young players late in the season, but rather wants to prevent teams from signing out too many players with the intention of losing.

The Indiana Pacers and Utah Jazz both received heavy fines for the same reason.

While the Pacers were fined $100,000 for violating the player participation policy by excluding players deemed healthy by an independent physician, the Jazz were fined $500,000 for “conduct detrimental to the league.”

Utah removed star talents such as Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. from their games against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat on February 7 and February 9, respectively, before the fourth quarter, and neither player returned for the final 12 minutes of the game.

Upon review, the NBA stated that both players were able to continue playing, but the Jazz decided not to reinstate them, leading the league to believe that the Jazz were intentionally trying to lose. Ultimately, the Jazz lost to the Magic 120–117 after blowing a seven-point lead in the fourth quarter, but Utah actually defeated the Heat 115–111 without Markkanen and Jackson playing in the fourth.

On Friday, Silver acknowledged that he’s more concerned about the moral changes in tanking this year due to what he called the “perfect storm” of a promising draft this June, which will be followed by less-talented draftees over the next few years, according to Weiss.

“There’s been a stigma around certain behaviors, and I think that’s a broader societal issue. I think in other aspects of society, the guardrails have come down a little bit.”

During his annual All-Star Weekend press conference, Silver said that tanking during the 2025–26 NBA season is “worse” than ever in recent memory and that the league will consider “every possible measure” to fix the problems that exist within the current draft and lottery system.

As a result, Silver and the NBA will spend much of the next few months implementing the new changes before the 2026-27 season officially begins in July.

The finally fully healthy New Orleans Pelicans are keeping things interesting to end an otherwise disappointing season. Stephen A. Aside from the scuffles with Smith and the officials, Zion Williamson’s diligent efforts have been worth defending recently. With Dejounte Murray back in the rotation, James Borrego’s last big push for a full-time job will keep Crescent City fans curious for a few more weeks. Reshaping the roster without moving on from Herb Jones could easily lead to trouble through the NBA Draft.

While the Pelicans have settled at point guard with Jeremiah Fears and Dejounte Murray, and hope to find experienced center depth to mentor Derrick Queen, Yves Messi and Carlo Matkovic, the wing remains a looming question mark. Trey Murphy III and Williamson remain franchise centerpieces, but the Alabama alumnus is no longer a young prospect, and the 27-year-old’s contract is also beginning to expire.

Having picks in the 30s, courtesy of the underperforming Milwaukee Bucks (26-35), is a ray of hope for a season that started with such promise. This is a very deep draft that will yield a gem or three. Finding another second-round wing to follow in Knott’s Herb’s footsteps should be a priority.

All-in on Amari Allen

Amari Allen might be the most obvious name to track for anyone familiar with Bay South hoops history. The Herb Jones similarities are almost too precise to ignore. Beyond the shared Alabama roots and jersey number #5, Allen’s game is built on the same foundation of toughness and defense. Nate Oakes continues to praise the rookie in a way that the Pelicans will definitely take notice.

“He’s playing really well, where people are recognizing he’s a 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8 guard who defends, rebounds, makes good decisions, doesn’t turn the ball over, plays on both sides of the ball,” Oats said. “There’s a lot to be said for that, and the NBA is looking for big guards who are multi-dimensional, who are tough.”

However, Allen’s developmental timeline is a little different. Jones entered the league as an older prospect with extensive college experience after four seasons at Alabama. Allen is a new player who is still learning the game but is making great progress. His length, athleticism and defensive instincts give him the type of switchable tool that NBA teams want on the wing.

Certainly still developing offensively, but the strong 20-year-old leads the Crimson Tide in rebounding (7.8 per game) and is third in scoring (11.7). The ability to guard multiple positions and impact the game in transition makes Allen an interesting long-term project if he ultimately declares.

Pelicans appreciate Neoklis Avdalas

Neoklis Avdalas is a rare 6-foot-9 ballhandler who offers unusual defensive versatility. The 20-year-old international can immediately initiate offense, help from the perimeter and defend in the frontcourt. Avdalas can hit open catch-and-shoot shots and is quick to run the floor in transition. His frame and instincts allow him to function as a weak-side small-ball center in some lineups. It doesn’t get more Herb Jones-esque than this.

That combination of length, defensive mobility and connective playmaking makes him one of the more interesting “toolbox” wings in the class. He may move more like Luka than Lowry, but has an All-Star ceiling enough for scouts to look hard. Think of a tall Tyler Herro type, but it’s hard to really score on him. For a Pelicans team that has relied heavily on Jones to erase matchups at various positions, Avadalas could translate well into a similar role.

juke harris listens to nba draft music

Harris has been one of the most surprising names in the 2026 class. Coming off a modest freshman season in which he averaged 6.1 points in 19 minutes per game, Harris has emerged as the true leader of Wake Forest’s offense, averaging 19.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1.6 steals per game on 45.4 percent shooting from the field. He scored a career-high 38 points against Boston College in late February.

The Pelicans have taken notice. Standing at 6 foot 7 inches tall with good length, Harris uses angles and body control to finish through contact, moves well off the ball, and has expanded his ball-handling to create separation and in transition. The high basketball IQ is reflected in his spacing and defensive anticipation, where he disrupts passing lanes and defends multiple positions. James Borrego could use a rotation of all of these over the last few months.

For most of his NBA career, Kyle Anderson has played as a contender.

Drafted 30th overall out of UCLA in 2014, celebrated for his throwback, borderline positionless “slow mo” style of play, Anderson has been to the postseason in eight of his first 11 seasons in the NBA, almost guaranteed a ninth run in Year 12 after signing with the Minnesota Timberwolves after being bought out of his contract by the Memphis Grizzlies.

And yet, for nearly half the season, Anderson played on a team that was decidedly not a contender. No, during his run with the Utah Jazz, the team actually went out of their way to make sure he didn’t get a W at the end of the contest, resulting in players like Anderson getting limited runs and DNPs to avoid any upset wins.

While discussing what it was like playing for the Jazz with reporters on Tuesday, Anderson said that although he likes everyone at Utah, he is not a big fan of their lose-first mentality, as he prefers to do everything possible in the pursuit of a win.

Anderson said, “Honestly, I didn’t want to join. I really enjoyed the organization and everyone in the organization was amazing.” “Obviously, you know, playing games without wins gets a little tougher and tougher. I personally didn’t enjoy it, but, you know, the staff, the players, I love the players. The staff is really good, the guys in the organization are amazing. Nothing bad to say about it.”

While the Jazz have been out of the playoff picture for several years now, ever since they traded Rudy Gobert and then Donovan Mitchell after deciding that the duo had reached their peak, Utah hasn’t really had dominant homegrown players to show for their efforts, with the team failing to crack the top-3 over the past decade.

Luckily, they hit a home run with the Lauri Markkanen trade and have pushed more chips into the center of the table by acquiring Jaren Jackson Jr. before the trade deadline, so who knows? Maybe they’ll be back to playing Anderson’s favorite brand of basketball next season.

It’s a tough life for the Chicago Bulls. They are on a losing streak of 10 consecutive matches, their longest in seven years. At the same time, accusations of tanking are being made against the Bulls in order to achieve a higher ranking in the NBA Draft Lottery.

However, according to Joel Lorenzi of The Athletic, Matas Buzelis vehemently denied those claims. Instead, Bouzelis took advantage of his intense desire to win.

“I don’t really like that term. And people might think (we’re tanking), but I’m going out and trying to win every night. All these guys are too.”

Undoubtedly, the losing streak is taking a toll on Bouzelis. On Tuesday, Chicago lost its 10th straight to the Charlotte Hornets, 131-99. A game in which Bouzelis scored a season high of 32 points.

Asked about his ongoing development after the Chicago Bulls’ latest loss, Bouzelis said, “I’m sorry, I just… I want to win games, and that’s everything.”

Additionally, the Bulls are still in the adjustment phase with the new roster after several trades. Trades that sent Coby White, Ayo Dosunmu, Nikola Vucevic and Kevin Huerter.

But to hear Bouzelis tell it, that’s no reason not to play to win.

“When you trade half the team, and you bring in new guys, it’s tough,” Buzzellis said. “However, that’s no excuse. We have to come and figure it out. And I’m going to say it again: I know we’re capable of doing that.”

The Bulls will close out the month against the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday. They are currently at 24-35.

Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle has fired back at the NBA following a $100,000 fine levied against the organization for violating the league’s player participation policy. The penalty comes from a February 3 game against the Utah Jazz, where the Pacers rested four-time All-Star Pascal Siakam on the second night of a back-to-back, which also included Aaron Nesmith, around whom controversy arose.

“I made a statement about it. I didn’t agree with it. There was a league lawyer who was interviewing and he unilaterally decided that Aaron Nesmith who was injured the night before couldn’t catch the ball, he should have played in the game, which seems ridiculous and during the interview process, I wasn’t in it but I heard the details,” Carlisle explained, according to a post on X by Kevin Bowen.

Rick Carlisle opens up about NBA’s $100,000 fine today #pacers: :

Full interview here: https://t.co/1rrz1gO1Ja pic.twitter.com/MgjmZFEPsH

– Kevin Bowen (@KBowen1070) 24 February 2026

Carlisle then detailed how the NBA refused to consult with team doctors or the player.

“We asked them if they wanted to talk to the doctors, our doctors, about it, because it was something that was documented by our doctors and trainers. They said no, they didn’t need to, they talked to their doctors who didn’t examine Aaron Nesmith. And we asked them if they wanted to talk to the kid. They said no, they didn’t need to,” he explained.

The reality of Nesmith’s physical condition paints a clear picture. The 26-year-old is officially expected to miss at least another week of games due to a sprained right ankle suffered in the recent loss to the Washington Wizards.

While Nesmith previously missed 19 consecutive games due to a left knee sprain, he has been highly productive when healthy, averaging 13.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 33 games, while logging 30 minutes a night. The Pacers’ lack of offense is also bolstered by the fact that their biggest star, Pascal Siakam, has also logged heavy minutes in the absence of Tyrese Haliburton despite Indiana finishing 15-43 in the playoffs.

Siakam has started 52 times, despite the fact that the Pacers are unlikely to advance beyond their 15th-place finish in the Eastern Conference standings.

Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia recently spoke out about teams reportedly lagging in the NBA, calling it “losing behavior.” With tanking emerging as a hot topic in the league, it looks like Ishbia has at least one supporter in the form of Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob.

According to Tim Kawakami of the San Francisco Standard, while discussing the state of the Warriors this season, Lacob made it clear that his team is not making any efforts to tank. He acknowledged Ishbia’s comments and firmly declared that Golden State was not an organization that would ever come under his ownership.

“I saw another boss come out today and say [tanking]Matt Ishbia,” Lacob said. “I think, you know, it’s not in my DNA to do that, and it’s not in the DNA of this organization … it’s not a good look. This is a game. We must play to win. And that’s not a way I’ll ever be comfortable trying to make my team better.”

Joe Lacob believes in the idea that his team, along with others in the league, must perform their best for the fans who pay for tickets to watch their games and buy their merchandise. Overall, he wants to put the best product on the court, even if the club is facing some problems, like Jimmy Butler’s injury for example.

“Look, this season matters to the fans who bought tickets this year,” Lacob said. “Hopefully, they’ll be our fans next year too, obviously. I think you’ve always got to try to win and do your best. We’ve been dealt some tough cards here right now. And our expectations probably shouldn’t have been as high as they were. I thought, with Jimmy, since we got him, we had the fourth-best record in the league, I think.”

Butler has been ruled out of the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign due to an ACL injury. Once he was ruled out, the Warriors had every excuse to go all out this season. Instead, the front office traded for Kristaps Porzingis, giving the roster a huge boost in the front court that could ultimately lead to huge success if it pays off.

However, we’ll see how it goes, as the Warriors are currently without Stephen Curry due to a knee injury. Curry is expected to eventually return, but he will miss at least the next four games after missing Thursday’s 121-110 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia added his voice to the conversation about tanking in the NBA. Ishbia issued a bold statement against the practice on his X account, citing an article by Yahoo Sports writer Tom Haberstroh.

He described the tanking tactics as “ridiculous” and said, “It’s a loser’s behavior by losers.”

“This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Intentionally losing is something no one should be associated with. Shameful for leagues and organizations. And talking about it as a ‘strategy’ is ridiculous. If you’re a bad team, you get a good pick. It’s understandable. But intentionally tanking players and losing games on purpose is a disgrace and affects the integrity of the entire league.”

He also says it is worse than the prop betting scam, equating it to a strategically thrown game.

“This is far worse than any prop betting scandal. It’s throwing games strategically. Terrible for the fans who pay to watch and cheer on their team. And terrible for all the real teams that are competing for playoff spots.”

Ishbia’s comments are noteworthy, as he joins a growing group of NBA executives, media members and fans who believe something should be done about the practice. Ishbia’s comments, in particular, ring true, as his team is going through a renaissance after missing the playoffs last year. When Ishbia took over the Suns following the firing of Robert Sarver, he orchestrated the trade of Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets to the Phoenix Suns. They then pushed for a trade that sent Chris Paul to the Wizards in exchange for Bradley Beal.

In both the Beal and Durant trades, the Suns gave up several first-round picks. Now winning is a double whammy. And even as the team’s ability to put together a Big Three with Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal faltered, Ishbia and the Suns remained focused.

Rather than looking for first-round capital to strengthen and rebuild the team, the Suns built around margin, acquiring Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green from the Rockets in exchange for Kevin Durant, as well as gaining more size in the front court by trading for Mark Williams.

The Suns are now 32-23 and in seventh place in the Western Conference; They are just two games behind the Timberwolves for sixth place and three games behind the third-seeded Nuggets. Perhaps Ishbia sees the Suns’ quick roster retooling as the benchmark for rebuilding a team.

The Suns head to San Antonio to face Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs tonight at 8:30 PM Eastern.

Tanking in the NBA has been a heated conversation this season, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle has had to approach that conversation carefully. Just eight months ago, the Pacers were at the pinnacle of the basketball world, making a thrilling run to the NBA Finals in which they defeated the reigning NBA champion Boston Celtics and the beloved New York Knicks. They also took on a dominant Oklahoma City Thunder team in the NBA Finals in a seven-game series.

But in that Game 7, star point guard Tyrese Halliburton suffered a torn right Achilles tendon, definitively ruling him out for the season. With the loss of Halliburton, the Pacers have struggled this season, sitting at 15-40 in the Eastern Conference, just one spot ahead of the Washington Wizards.

Recently, the NBA fined the Pacers $100,000 for player participation policy violations on February 12. The penalty was given because NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam and two other starters were held out of the game, although an independent league investigation found that all three could have played, albeit in fewer minutes. The Jazz ultimately won the game 131–122.

Carlisle talked about the fine while speaking to reporters after Pacers practice Tuesday in comments obtained by IndyStar.

“I have no idea,” he said, “and really no comment on it.”

Carlisle was asked if the team would change the way it manages player involvement going forward.

Carlisle said, “We will manage our situation the way we need to. I am extremely proud of the way our players, organization and fans have navigated an exceptionally challenging season.” According to IndyStar, he said, “We’ve been very consistent in the way we’ve approached everything this year, and the NBA is aware of that. Communication with the league office has been productive. We’ll move forward with the same emphasis on competitiveness and growth that I talked about at Media Day, Sept. 29, 2025.”

Although the team has struggled this season, the Pacers have been competitive in several games, including a January 23 win over the Thunder and an overtime win over the Knicks a few days before the All-Star break. The Pacers made a big trade deadline move and acquired former Clippers center Ivica Zubac, who is considered one of the best big men in the league.

But despite the team’s success, the NBA has put a halt to enforcement of player participation. The Pacers, as well as the Jazz, were fined $500,000 for violating the player participation policy. The NBA also instituted the 65-game rule which requires players to play at least 65 games to be eligible for postseason awards and honors.

The Pacers will play the first of two games against the Wizards tonight at 7 PM

In just a few days, the NBA will begin the second half of the season, and it is expected that most teams will try to strengthen their positions to earn the much-coveted ticket to the playoffs.

As far as other squads are concerned, let the tanking begin.

Tanking has been a persistent issue for the NBA, affecting the integrity of the league. Whenever teams don’t play to win, it’s the fans who lose.

Although there are fines that punish tanking, ESPN’s Bobby Marks said they are not necessarily a deterrent, because team owners have very deep pockets.

“When you’re a billionaire, you would rather write a blank check for the ability to be drafted in the top three or top four because those players are game-changers and everything,” Marks said on “The Hoop Collective.”

“A team texted me and said, ‘Listen, what is this? Seven million? Eight million? How much will it cost? We’ll pay the fine.’ Now, listen, when you come out and say we’re going to start taking away draft picks and we’re going to start taking away resources, now it becomes something else.

Wisely, Steve Ballmer, who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, is one of the richest people in the world with a net worth of $140 billion.

Most of his fellow team owners are multi-billionaires, including Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont of the Dallas Mavericks ($40 billion), Robert Pera of the Memphis Grizzlies ($30 billion), and Dan Gilbert of the Cleveland Cavaliers ($26 billion).

Recently, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for sitting out healthy players, deeming it “conduct detrimental to the league.”

The Jazz have the third-worst record in the Western Conference, while the Pacers have the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference.

Entering the second half of the season, the Utah Jazz have the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 18–38. With their deteriorating situation, the Jazz must be eager to get back on track and show signs of improvement.

or are they?

With their chances of winning a title penciling in on dietary restrictions, many believe the Jazz are ready to tank and get a better shot at going No. 1 overall in next year’s draft.

For sports commentator Colin Cowherd, it seems like the guys in Salt Lake are totally fine with sucking up this season.

“I think the Utah fans, who almost have a collegiate experience because it’s a smaller NBA market, I think they’re into it. I think they know it. I think they go to the games and enjoy it with their friends, but if you ask them if you can get the number two pick or the number 14 pick, they’ll take number two,” Cowherd said on his podcast.

“Utah has been bad for several years. What does another 12 games or 26 games mean at the end of the year?”

The NBA recently fined the Jazz $500,000 for “compromising the integrity” of the league by keeping their healthy players on the bench. Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. did not play in the fourth quarter of their games against the Orlando Magic and Miami Heat last week. Utah lost both games.

Jackson is now out for the season as he plans to have surgery on his left knee.

Last year, the Jazz took the No. 5 overall pick, using it on Ace Bailey. In 2024, he went 10th overall, surpassing Cody Williams. They were taken No. 9 overall in 2023, passing up Taylor Hendricks, who is now with the Memphis Grizzlies.

One of the biggest talking points in the NBA in recent weeks has been the league’s rampant tanking issue, with teams like the Utah Jazz routinely benching starters to increase their lottery odds. The NBA has tried to address this issue in recent seasons by reducing lottery odds and implementing fines, but clearly, more work needs to be done to meet fan expectations.

Recently, NBA insider Joe Warden of The Athletic reported on a proposed idea that would see the league eliminate the draft altogether and essentially make incoming rookies free agents.

“There were several meetings this week among league officials to discuss tanking measures, and about 10 solutions were discussed, not one of which included the complete elimination of the rookie draft,” Vardon reported.

However, this does not mean that it will not be possible to move forward if things continue in this direction.

“…If (Adam) Silver and his advisors decide the only way to stop tanking…is to stop the draft altogether and turn rookies into free agents, the same league official said it would be seriously considered.”

Meanwhile, NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed the league’s tanking issue during his media availability at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles.

He said, “I think talking to GMs and coaches around the league shows that perhaps our records show even more parity. And that goes back to the incentive issue. … It’s a little confusing.”

It is unlikely that any solution exists that will be able to completely satisfy all parties involved, but there is clearly an issue when teams are routinely pulling their starters from games in a blatant attempt to make up for losing.

It remains to be seen how the NBA will address this issue in future seasons.

Golden State Warriors All-Star Stephen Curry downplayed the recent fines imposed by the NBA on the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for tanking during All-Star Media Day. After Warriors veteran Draymond Green called out Adam Silver for the NBA’s new All-Star Game format, Curry responded to the interesting topic of teams improving their chances of getting a good draft pick by keeping their best players on the bench.

Curry questions the seriousness of NBA tanking issue During his media availability on Saturday.

“Is it really that big of a problem? I’m asking. We think there’s obviously a lot of competition,” Curry said. “This is something I’m sure the NBA wants to discuss every year: Why does the play-in tournament exist. Things evolve, problems arise, and everyone wants to shine a light on all the negatives of the league. But let’s focus on the positives of how great the competition at the top is. The season-wise relevance of seeding and the playoff chase is still there.

“I know there’s a conversation going on about how many games we’re playing. That’s probably where I would focus more. Let’s not forget that the league is in a very good place in terms of attention, skill level, global reach, all of these things. Every year you’ll address issues. I don’t have those answers though,” Curry concluded.

Steph Curry was asked what he thinks the NBA should do to reduce tanking:

“Is it really that big of a problem? I’m asking. We think there’s obviously too much competition. I’m sure the NBA wants to look at why the play-in tournament exists every year. Things… pic.twitter.com/tMVMb1VaNK

– Ellie ✶ (@jinttherty) 14 February 2026

For Curry, the 82-game regular season should also be a topic of conversation. Perhaps shortening the game by 82 games or adding a week or two to the season would help given how challenging the NBA regular season can be, as Stephen Curry said.

Adam Silver addresses the tanking of NBA teams

Without any specific thoughts to disclose, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that tanking is an issue in the league, which will be addressed in addition to the league’s recent fine. silver dealt with the topic During his availability at the media day.

“Every possible measure is now being discussed to stop this behavior,” Silver replied.

“Every possible measure is now being discussed to stop this behaviour.”

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver on the possibility of stripping teams of draft picks instead of issuing fines 🗣️pic.twitter.com/q9f45Xj0rd

– ClutchPoints (@clutchpoints) 14 February 2026

The NBA may announce new penalties in the near future for teams that sit their best players.