Winning Gets in the Way of Wizards, Nets Tank Jobs

Less than three weeks after the NBA floated possible rule changes to curb tanking, two of its apparent culprits have started to climb out of the cellar.

The Wizards and Nets were expected to be two of the worst teams in the league coming into this season as neither had a star player, which the NBA defines as a player who has made an All-Star or All-NBA team in the last three seasons. They opened the season sharing identical 1–11 records with the Pacers, contributing to one of the worst collective starts in NBA history. 

But the Wizards have suddenly won six of 10 games, including five of their last seven, to move out of the league’s bottom three. Washington won its 10th game Tuesday, which it took until late February to do last season.

Brooklyn is directly above Washington in the standings, and have won seven of their last 12 games, including wins over playoff contending teams like the Sixers and Raptors.

Here are the bottom of the NBA standings as of Wednesday morning:

• Pacers: 6–31
• Pelicans: 8–30 
• Kings: 8–29
• Wizards: 10–25
• Nets: 11–22
• Jazz: 12–23
• Hornets: 13–23
• Clippers: 13–22
• Mavericks: 14–23

The NBA reportedly presented potential tanking rule changes at a board of governors meeting before the holiday season to gather input from team owners and executives. The league has been attempting to limit tanking in recent years, including flattening the draft lottery odds and adjusting its schedule, but this year’s changes also come amid gambling scandals wherein tanking played a factor.

Three of the primary changes floated were:

1. Teams are not allowed to draft in the top four for consecutive seasons.
2. Lottery positions will be locked by March 1.
3. Pick protections will be removed in the top four or 14 and higher.

It’s unclear when these rule changes will be implemented, if at all.

The recent stretch from the Wizards and the Nets could be evidence that developing teams are not always geared to tanking. But with three months left in the regular season, and a hyped 2026 draft class for tanking teams to fawn over, the moves of both front offices for the second half of the season may end up justifying future rule changes.

The Wizards’ 2026 first-round pick is top-8 protected. They would still keep their pick if the season ended today, but a few more wins would put the pick at risk of conveying to the Knicks.

Last year, the Sixers, whose pick was protected top six, won just five of their last 36 games, securing the NBA’S fifth-worst-record. Their pick turned into the No. 3 selection. 

As of March 1, Philadelphia only had the eighth-worst-record, meaning they would have more than likely lost their pick to the Thunder if the league’s proposed locked lottery timing had been  implemented last season. 

While the proposed rule would not remove protections in the top 8, if Washington climbs a few more places in the standings and suddenly decides to rest players, it could be another sign that pick protections are influencing team’s tanking principles.

The Nets own their 2026 first-round pick outright, but they have played above expectations, in part because of the breakout season from Michael Porter Jr. The forward, who the Nets acquired in the offseason by trading away Cam Johnson, is 14th in the league in scoring. But Porter, 27, doesn’t appear to be a long-term piece in a rebuild.

Trading Porter to a contending team would contribute to Brooklyn falling back into the league’s basement.