Cooper Flagg’s Sweet 16 Performance Fuels NBA Tanking Debate

As Duke rolls into the Elite Eight of men’s March Madness, the standout performance of star freshman forward Cooper Flagg is not only helping draw huge TV ratings—it’s also showing why the tanking conversation in the NBA won’t die down.

Flagg, the consensus No. 1 pick in June’s NBA Draft, scored 30 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, dished out 6 assists, and blocked 3 shots in Duke’s 100–93 victory over Arizona on Thursday night in the Sweet 16. 

His showcase, which was no doubt being watched by most pro scouts and GMs, came just hours after NBA commissioner Adam Silver once again addressed the league’s issues around teams tanking for better draft picks.

“There’s no doubt that incentives change at the end of a season, especially when you have a draft that’s perceived—not just with the top pick but maybe the top few picks—as an incredibly strong draft,” Silver said after the league’s board of governors meeting. “That’s a legitimate way of rebuilding in this league.”

Earlier this month, the 76ers and Thunder both rested key starters when they played each other, as Oklahoma City will own Philadelphia’s pick if it falls outside the top six selections. The NBA also issued a $100,000 fine to the Jazz for violating the league’s Player Participation Policy by not making forward Lauri Markkanen available for a March 5 game.

“What we’re ultimately selling is competition, so I don’t like to see it,” Silver said. “I understand it. I understand what the motivations are for a team.” He added that the “worst part of my job is fining and chasing teams and seemingly getting into coaches’ decisions about minutes and everything else.”

Current NBA Draft lottery rules give the worst three teams in the league an equal 14% chance of winning the top pick. Currently, four teams are within 4.5 games of each other at the bottom of the standings: the Jazz, Wizards, Hornets, and Pelicans. 

“I understand why there is a relegation system in other leagues because it comes down to incentives,” Silver said. 

Once the regular season ends, the NBA Draft lottery will be held on May 12.