NBA’s Tanking Crackdown Puts Spotlight on Kings’ Struggles, Draft Hopes
Tanking took center stage during All-Star Weekend - and no, we’re not talking about missed dunks or half-speed defense. As the league gathered under the bright lights of the Intuit Dome, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver made it clear: teams suspected of intentionally losing to boost their draft odds are firmly on the league’s radar. And while the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers have already been hit with fines, attention is now turning to the Sacramento Kings - a franchise sitting at the bottom of the standings and facing growing scrutiny.
At 12-44 heading into the break, the Kings own the league’s worst record. That alone would raise eyebrows.
But it’s the way they’ve arrived at that mark that’s fueling speculation. Head coach Doug Christie has drawn criticism for his rotations, with fans and analysts alike questioning the consistency - or lack thereof - in how he’s deploying his roster.
The result? A team that looks more like it’s evaluating talent than pushing for wins.
Naturally, that’s where the tanking conversation starts to heat up.
Sacramento hasn’t been formally accused of anything - the league hasn’t handed down any penalties or made any public statements about the Kings’ approach. But the chatter is growing, especially in their own backyard. NBC Sports California’s Kayte Christensen weighed in during a recent radio appearance, acknowledging the concern but also highlighting a deeper issue: the disparity between big-market and small-market teams.
“You’re concerned about tanking,” Christensen said on The Carmichael Dave Show with Jason Ross. “But at the end of the day, what the fan base wants is for their team to be good, play at a high level, and have a legitimate shot to compete.”
That’s the heart of the matter for Sacramento. Unlike the league’s glamour markets - think L.A., Miami, New York - the Kings don’t have the same pull when it comes to free agency.
Christensen put it bluntly: “There are some teams in this league that never have to worry about tanking because they’re such a draw for free agents. They have an advantage that the majority of the other teams do not.”
It’s a reality the Kings know all too well. While they brought in veterans like Russell Westbrook and DeMar DeRozan, both are past their primes.
And at the trade deadline, Sacramento swung and missed on Ja Morant, a move that would’ve been a franchise-altering addition. Instead, the front office is turning its focus toward the draft - and hoping to strike gold.
General manager Scott Perry didn’t shy away from that fact.
“Draft capital is extremely important. This is a big draft for us coming up,” Perry told reporters on February 6. “Maybe the silver lining is that we get a high enough pick to get a difference-maker when the time comes.”
That difference-maker might just be AJ Dybantsa, the BYU standout who was spotted courtside at the Kings’ game against the Jazz before the break. His presence didn’t go unnoticed and only added fuel to the speculation that Sacramento has its eyes firmly set on the top of the draft board.
Still, as of now, there’s no smoking gun. No league investigation.
No fines. Just a struggling team in a tough market trying to find a path forward - and perhaps, like many others, weighing the long game over short-term wins.
Christensen summed it up best: “They’re trying to appease the league, but also say, ‘Hey, we’re trying to build something here, and we don’t have the same advantages as everyone else.’”
Whether that’s tanking or just strategic rebuilding depends on who you ask. But one thing’s clear: the Kings are at a crossroads. And the next few months - from the draft lottery on May 10 to the picks made in June - could define the franchise’s future.