NBA Commissioner Adam Silver delivered one of his most direct acknowledgments yet that the league’s incentive system is not functioning as intended, saying tanking is worse “than we’ve seen in recent memory” and warning that “every possible remedy” is now on the table.
Speaking at his annual All-Star Weekend news conference, Silver said the NBA’s traditional model — where the worst-performing teams receive the highest draft odds — may be fundamentally misaligned with competitive integrity.
(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
“When any economist comes and looks at our system, they always point out you have the incentives backwards there,” Silver said. “That doesn’t necessarily make sense.”
The league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 this week for failing to use available star players in competitive games. Silver said the fines were not isolated discipline but part of a broader signal to teams.
“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” Silver said. “Which was what led to those fines … and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”
Lottery Under “Fresh Look” as Parity Debate Intensifies
Silver traced the issue historically, noting that the league once used a coin flip in the 1960s before adopting a lottery system in the 1980s. He said the lottery has been modified roughly five times in attempts to stay ahead of team behavior.
But analytics, he said, have sharpened front-office calculations.
“I think what we’re seeing is modern analytics where it’s so clear that the incentives are misaligned,” Silver said.
Adam Silver’s full response to tanking: pic.twitter.com/zxw6aET8vK
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) February 14, 2026
The commissioner said the NBA’s Competition Committee — which includes owners, general managers, players and representatives of the Players Association — began reexamining the entire draft-lottery structure earlier this season.
“It’s time to take a fresh look at this to see to whether that’s an antiquated way of going about doing it,” Silver said.
Silver framed the issue as more nuanced than standings suggest. He said conversations with general managers and coaches indicate that competitive gaps may be smaller than records imply.
“It’s not clear to me, for example, that the 30th performing team is that much measurably worse than the 22nd performing team, particularly if you have incentive to perform poorly to get a better draft pick,” Silver said. “It’s a bit of a conundrum.”
The commissioner emphasized that the league seeks “parity of opportunity,” not identical outcomes. But if teams manipulate performance to improve draft position — even within a lottery structure — it undermines the premise that the worst teams are being helped.
“If teams are manipulating their performance in order to get higher draft picks even in a lottery, then the question becomes … are they really the worst-performing teams?” Silver said.
While the league has increased scrutiny of injury reports and lineup decisions, Silver acknowledged that heavy-handed enforcement is not a viable long-term strategy.
“I don’t think that’s the way to manage this system long-term of, I know it when I see it,” he said. “It will lead to very unhealthy relationships between us and our teams.”
Asked whether the NBA might escalate penalties beyond fines — including stripping draft picks — Silver did not rule it out.
“There is talk about every possible remedy now to stop this behavior,” he said.
Silver also acknowledged the complicated fan dynamic, noting that some fan bases paradoxically root for short-term losing if it increases draft odds.
“It’s not what they want to pay for to see poor performance on the floor,” Silver said. “But they’re actually rooting for their teams in some cases to be bad to improve their draft chances.”
Ultimately, he said, the league must protect competitive integrity and fan trust.
“We want to have fair competition, we want to have fair systems and to keep an eye on the fans, most importantly, and their expectation that we’re going to be putting the best product forward,” Silver said.
Expansion: 2026 Decision, No Relocation
Silver confirmed expansion discussions will continue at the March Board of Governors meeting, though no vote is expected then. He reiterated that formal decisions are targeted for 2026.
“I’ve been very clear I don’t want to tease teams, I don’t want to tease cities or mislead anyone,” Silver said.
Seattle and Las Vegas remain focal markets, but Silver emphasized that expansion is not automatically a two-team process.
“No, it doesn’t have to be a two-team expansion,” he said. “Frankly, it doesn’t have to be any number of teams.”
The next phase, he said, involves exploring ownership interest and franchise valuation in targeted cities, along with examining conference alignment.
When asked about relocation, Silver was definitive.
“Relocation is not on the table right now,” he said.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver on WNBA CBA negotiations: “We’re getting awfully close to the 11th Hour now. When it comes to bargaining, I’m encouraged. There has been more back and forth over the past few weeks.”
— Madeline Kenney (@madkenney) February 14, 2026
Women’s National Basketball Association CBA Talks Enter “11th Hour”
Silver also addressed the WNBA’s collective bargaining negotiations, warning that the calendar is becoming a critical factor as the league approaches its May 8 season opener.
“Let me begin by saying I think it’s unfortunate where we find ourselves right now,” Silver said. “We’re coming off tremendous momentum in the WNBA. It’s not lost on anyone.”
Silver pointed to the league’s 30th season and recent surge in popularity, saying “all arrows are pointing up.”
But he stressed the logistical hurdles ahead: an expansion draft, a collegiate draft, free agency and training camps scheduled to open in roughly two months.
“We have to get not one, but two drafts done,” Silver said. “Plus whenever we shake hands on a collective bargaining agreement, the lawyers have to go to work and memorialize it.”
He declined to set a formal drop-dead date, but made clear urgency is required.
“We are awfully close to the 11th now when it comes to bargaining,” Silver said.
Silver said he is encouraged by increased engagement between players and owners and is involved behind the scenes, though not directly at the table.
“We need to now move toward the next level sense of urgency and not lose momentum in terms of the amazing amount of progress we’ve seen in women’s basketball,” he said.
Europe: Targeting 2027–28 Launch
Silver provided one of his most detailed updates yet on the NBA’s planned European league, saying a 2027–28 launch is realistic, though the structure may evolve over time.
“We’ve moved into a new phase now working with our two bankers, JP Morgan and Raine,” Silver said.
Dozens of potential ownership groups have signed non-disclosure agreements and reviewed projections. Silver said the league is also engaged in constructive discussions with the EuroLeague and its new CEO, Chus Bueno.
Silver acknowledged Europe’s established basketball ecosystem and stressed that the NBA intends to move quickly, but respectfully.
“We know it’s not realistic to ask people just to freeze the competition and wait for us to come,” he said.
He also highlighted the NBA’s global reach — roughly two billion social media followers — and said the European league is envisioned as both regionally rooted and globally followed.
“If you’re looking for a short return, you should probably look elsewhere,” Silver said. “This is something that we plan to build over decades.”
When asked whether NBA players could invest in European teams, Silver said discussions are ongoing with the Players Association.
Clippers Investigation and Betting Oversight
Silver said no decision has been made in the Aspiration case involving the Los Angeles Clippers. The investigation is being conducted by Wachtell, a New York-based law firm.
“From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been fully cooperative,” Silver said, adding that All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles has not affected the timeline.
Silver also addressed the expanding betting landscape after being asked about Giannis Antetokounmpo’s endorsement deal with a prediction market.
“We currently are looking at prediction markets essentially in the same way that we’re looking at sports betting companies,” Silver said.
Adam Silver, on the Clippers’ Aspiration investigation: “I haven’t come to any decisions whatsoever yet on the Clippers matter. The league office is not directly running the investigation. … From everything I’ve been told, the Clippers have been fully cooperative.”
— Justin Russo (@FlyByKnite) February 14, 2026
He noted players are permitted to make de minimis investments — capped at 1 percent — under collectively bargained rules, and said Antetokounmpo’s stake is well below that threshold.
Silver said prediction markets are rapidly evolving and could face scrutiny from courts or Congress. He added that the NBA must monitor betting across roughly 40 U.S. jurisdictions, an expansive illegal market and approximately 80 countries globally where NBA wagering is legal.
“It concerns me in the totality of all this betting that we need a better handle … on all the different activity that’s happening out there,” Silver said.
Governance and “Rule of Law”
Pressed about punishment thresholds, including salary-cap circumvention, Silver said he is “completely beholden to the constitution and the CBA.”
“I believe in the rule of law,” he said.
Silver said his authority derives directly from those governing documents and from the owners who empowered him to enforce them. He emphasized that rule changes must move through committee processes that include owners, executives and players.
“We’d better not lose sight of our fans here,” Silver said. “We’d better not lose sight of the people who support this league day in and day out.”
In discussing tanking, expansion, global growth and betting oversight, Silver repeatedly returned to the same theme: the NBA’s long-term credibility depends on aligning incentives with competition.
“What we’re doing, what we’re seeing right now is not working; there’s no question about it,” Silver said.
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