NBA Cracks Down on Tanking: Jazz and Pacers Fined, But Is It Enough?
The NBA has taken a firm stance against tanking, and the message from Commissioner Adam Silver is loud and clear: prioritizing draft position over competitive integrity won’t be tolerated. The league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for sitting healthy players in games that were very much within reach. It’s a move that signals the league office is watching - and willing to act.
Silver didn’t mince words in his statement, calling out the practice for what it is: a threat to the foundation of NBA competition. He emphasized that more serious consequences could be on the table if this trend continues, and the league’s Board of Governors is reportedly exploring additional measures to monitor teams that appear to be intentionally losing games.
This isn’t just a front-office issue anymore - it’s become one of the dominant storylines of the season. And with good reason.
Fans can see when the on-court product doesn’t match the competitive standard they’ve come to expect. When healthy starters are benched without clear cause, especially in winnable games, it raises eyebrows.
And now, it’s raising fines.
Former NBA big man Kendrick Perkins didn’t hold back when weighing in on ESPN. He lit into the Jazz and Pacers for what he sees as blatant disrespect for the game.
“I wish Adam Silver would’ve fined them $5 million for disrespecting the game of basketball,” Perkins said. “Let’s stop being nice about it and throwing out the word ‘tanking.’
No, it’s actually throwing games. You’re trying to throw games to lose games.”
Perkins has never been shy with his takes, but this one struck a chord. His frustration echoes what many around the league - and in the stands - are feeling. The idea that a franchise would willingly compromise the competitive nature of a game for a shot at a better draft pick doesn’t sit well with players, fans, or league officials.
Still, the reality is complicated. For a team like Utah, which hasn’t been in serious contention in recent years, the temptation is understandable.
The 2026 draft class is being hyped as one of the deepest in recent memory. But Perkins isn’t buying that as an excuse.
“In one of the best sports in the world, in a competitive sport, you’re teaching to try to lose games,” Perkins added. “That’s what you’re trying to do… there’s not a generational talent in this draft.
Are there some good franchise guys? Absolutely.”
That’s the crux of the issue. Even if there’s talent coming in, is it worth sacrificing the integrity of the game?
The NBA has already tried to address tanking through flattened lottery odds, but clearly, that hasn’t fully solved the problem. Fines are a step, but they may just be the cost of doing business for some franchises - unless the penalties get steeper or the system changes.
At its core, this is about trust. Fans invest time, money, and emotion into their teams.
When it feels like winning isn’t the goal, that trust starts to erode. And once that happens, it’s hard to get it back.
Silver’s move to fine the Jazz and Pacers might not be the final word, but it’s a necessary one. The league’s competitive spirit is its heartbeat.
Every night should be about winning - not positioning. If the NBA wants to keep its edge, it has to make sure the smartest strategy is also the most competitive one.