Friday, October 30, 2026

The NBA Tanking Crisis Is Getting Worse

The Wizards and Pacers both lost 16 straight. The Nets are right there with them. A month after the league fined the Jazz and the Pacers for blatant tanking, nothing has changed. So how bad does it have to get before Adam Silver actually does something about it?

With Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and AJ Dybantsa all potentially available at number one, this could be the most valuable draft lottery in years. And that changes the calculus for every team sitting at the bottom of the standings right now.

Dallas had a 1.8 percent chance to land Cooper Flagg and won the lottery anyway. So what does that mean for Golden State and Milwaukee sitting at 2 and 3 percent right now? And if the NBA adds Seattle and Vegas through expansion, does Bill Simmons have a point that it only makes the tanking problem worse? The numbers are ugly and the questions are getting harder to ignore.

Matt Iseman takes viewers beyond the scoreboard, inside the deals, and face-to-face with the personalities shaping sports.

Find Your Local Channel
Up Next

Syracuse AD on Boeheim and 24-Team CFP

Syracuse AD Bryan Blair on Jim Boeheim, NIL changes and why he…
October 30, 2026

Brian Kelly on Lane Kiffin’s LSU

Brian Kelly on the 24 team playoff, Arch Manning and why LSU…
October 29, 2026

Bills Safety Damar Hamlin on Mental Health, CPR Advocacy and the 18th..

Damar Hamlin on mental health, CPR advocacy and why an 18th game…
October 29, 2026