While many of the NBA’s top teams are looking forward to resting during the All-Star break while preparing for their playoff push, the other half of the league is already thinking about next season.
The topic of tanking is already a conversation, as many teams have shut it down while hoping to improve their odds in what is considered a strong 2026 NBA Draft class. A notable league insider recently issued a strong take regarding the future of the NBA Draft amidst flagrant tanking.
NBA Insider Calls for Changes To Draft Lottery
NBA insider Chris Mannix took aim at the league’s bottom-tier teams, calling for changes to the current lottery system. Mannix said, “The NBA has a tanking problem. Nay, a tanking epidemic. Every year a few teams will shut players down late in the season. Some will even outright boot games away.
“Losing works. And really, the NBA doesn’t really have a problem with a little late-season standings manipulation. But this isn’t late season. It’s barely midseason. Most teams have a third of the schedule left and nearly a third of the league isn’t interested in playing it.”
Mannix added, “Tanking isn’t just any disease, it’s a cancer, one that can spread quickly. The lottery system needs to be nuked. Trashed. Spiked from the NBA’s hard drives and wiped out of its rule books. League officials and representatives from all 30 teams need to get in a room and create a new system. ”
Mannix directs a lot of criticism towards the Utah Jazz, who pulled off one of the trade deadline’s biggest moves when they acquired two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of The Year Jaren Jackson Jr. While Jackson Jr. has scored over 20 points on his first two games with the team, he will likely be on a minutes restriction for the rest of the season, as the Jazz look to strengthen their draft position.
The same thing goes for Lauri Markkanen, who is one of the NBA’s leading scorers this season, but will not make a run at the scoring title, as his minutes will be reduced down the stretch, and he’ll likely be taken out of the lineup at some point.
Mannix also mentioned the Washington Wizards, who acquired stars Anthony Davis and Trae Young, though there are legitimate questions regarding whether either of them will make their team debuts this season. The Wizards also acquired veteran point guard D’Angelo Russell, who isn’t expected to suit up for the organization while they prioritize playing time for their young guards and essentially lose.
Then there’s the Sacramento Kings, who have lost 13 straight games and have the inside track on the first overall pick at the moment. However, the Kings are more inept than actually trying to tank, considering they have veteran former All-Stars on their team in Russell Westbrook, Domantas Sabonis, DeMar DeRozan, and Zach LaVine.
The Play-In Tournament was designed to add more intrigue to the season’s final weeks, but there doesn’t appear to be much urgency from teams in the 11-13 range in each conference to get in, besides the Milwaukee Bucks, who are still trying to convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to stay.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is likely frustrated, and Mannix is among the leading voices calling for change.
