Brooklyn Nets forward Michael Porter Jr. recently broke his podcast silence, sharing his thoughts on a hot-button issue in the NBA: tanking. Speaking on the Emily Austin Show, Porter didn't hold back, expressing his frustration with teams intentionally losing to secure better draft picks.
“They gotta do something about this tanking situation,” Porter said. “I don't like how teams are deliberately trying to tank to get a good draft pick.
Throwing full NBA seasons down the drain isn't the way to go. It's not ethical to the game.
Fans pay a lot to see the best players compete, and you want teams giving their all every night. I understand rebuilding, but there's a right and wrong way to do it.
Hopefully, they can change it. The best players should be on the floor night to night.”
Having experienced numerous deep playoff runs with the Denver Nuggets, Porter is now navigating his first rebuild with the Nets, who are among several teams eyeing a top pick in the highly anticipated 2026 draft.
The conversation around tanking has intensified, especially as the quality of play dips towards the end of the season. This year, the issue became particularly glaring around the trade deadline, sparking outcry from fans and media alike.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has acknowledged the growing concern and hinted at significant rule changes for next season. Speaking at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, Silver shared, “We are going to make substantial changes for next year.
On one extreme, you could completely divorce the draft from teams’ records, which would disincentivize tanking. You could win the finals and still get the first pick.
But there are gradations of that.”
As the league contemplates these changes, fans and players alike are eager to see how the NBA will tackle this complex issue, ensuring that every game remains competitive and engaging.