Silver insists NBA will ‘fix’ tanking issue before next season, says he likes 65-game rule

By Canadian Press on March 25, 2026.

NEW YORK (AP) — Tanking is going to be addressed. The 65-game rule might remain.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver insisted Wednesday that the league will change its draft process and address its tanking problem before the start of next season. And he pointed to the league’s player participation policy — citing the effect it has had on load management — as proof of how the league can make effective fixes.

The league’s board of governors discussed tanking — the issue of teams trying not to win in order to enhance their odds of landing the best possible draft pick — at its two-day meeting that ended Wednesday. No votes were taken and no fingers were pointed at any specific teams, Silver said.

“We are going to fix it,” Silver said. “Full stop.”

Silver said the league has been working on the most recent tanking issues for months — and noted that the NBA has addressed the problem countless times over the years, including with several changes to the draft and lottery process.

“I would say it seemed unanimous in the room that we needed to make a change, and we need to make a change for next season,” Silver said at a news conference, wrapping up the two-day session with owners. “Exactly what that change is, we’re continuing to work on. … I think there’s also unanimous agreement that we need to make this change in advance of the draft and free agency this year, so all the teams understand the rules of the road going into next year.”

The next step, Silver said, will likely be a special board meeting in May to get something done. The league’s general managers have discussed the matter multiple times, and numerous teams have offered some sort of suggestion about how to fix the issue.

In other matters addressed Wednesday:

The 65-game rule

Silver responded to the National Basketball Players Association’s statement Tuesday calling for change to the 65-game rule for major individual awards.

The NBPA, through collective bargaining, agreed to that rule as part of the current agreement between the league and its players. It pointed to the case of Detroit star Cade Cunningham, who would almost certainly be an All-NBA selection this season but may fall short of qualifying because of the 65-game threshold.

“We always knew when there’s a line you draw that somebody’s going to fall on the other side of that line and it may feel unfair in that particular instance,” Silver said. “Let’s see what happens at the end of this year. By the way, Cade Cunningham, he’s an incredible player. I’m sorry that he’s injured and can’t wait to see him back on the floor.

“But having said that, we also have to remember that to the extent that one player is no longer eligible, some other player will then be All-NBA and will slot into that spot. I’m not ready to stand here saying, I don’t think it’s working. I think it is working.”

The NBPA believes the rule should focus on preventing “excessive load management,” and that precautions should be taken so players don’t miss out on deserved recognition or get forced to play when injured just to meet a games-played standard.

WNBA deal

Silver said the NBA’s governors — many of whom have a significant stake in the WNBA as well — discussed the new collective bargaining agreement between that league and its players.

“People were extremely happy about the fact that the collective bargaining situation was resolved in time to save training camp and free agency and the season,” Silver said.

Silver was asked if he thought WNBA Commissioner Cathy Engelbert would keep that role after the 2026 season.

“We haven’t had those discussions yet with the WNBA board,” Silver said. “I would obviously say Cathy’s done a fantastic job since she’s come to the WNBA. … I would say the results speak for themselves. I’m very happy, and I know the ownership is very happy with where things stand.”

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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba

Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press

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