As the NBA playoff picture continues to take shape, the race to the bottom of the standings has become a trending topic. The NBA has constantly sought to punish tanking organizations, but the problem has been more noteworthy this season due to its frequency. As the Milwaukee Bucks seek to become the latest team in the tanking race, the National Basketball Players Association has issued a statement.
Why the NBPA Issued a Strong Statement on Tanking
NBA insider Alex Kennedy shared comments on X from the NBPA regarding tanking and the league’s Player Participation Policy.
An NBPA spokesperson said, “The Player Participation Policy was designed by the league to hold teams accountable and ensure that when an All-Star like Giannis Antetokounmpo is healthy and ready to play, he is on the court.”
“Unfortunately, anti-tanking policies are only as effective as their enforcement; fans, broadcast partners, and the integrity of the game itself will continue to suffer as long as ownership goes unchecked. We look forward to collaborating with the NBA on meaningful new proposals that will directly address and discourage tanking,” he added.
The NBPA is speaking out as the Bucks are now at the center of controversy, and their relationship with star player Giannis Antetokounmpo seems rockier than ever. The Players Association believes the Bucks are planning to tank for the rest of the season as their playoff odds have dwindled and, as a result, want Antetokounmpo to sit out even when he’s healthy and available to play.
As the NBPA points out, refusing to let one of the NBA’s best players take the court directly contradicts the objective of the Player Participation Policy, which states that star players should play the majority of games when they’re healthy, regardless of the team’s situation.
“A failure to communicate between Giannis and the Bucks.”@WindhorstESPN weighs whether the Milwaukee Bucks should shut down Giannis Antetokounmpo for the rest of the season despite his pushback 👀 pic.twitter.com/lBTUNzOIrt
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) March 24, 2026
The Bucks would essentially become the fourth team in the East to shut it down, along with the Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards, who are currently on a 16-game losing streak.
The face of this season’s tanking is perhaps the Utah Jazz, who were fined $500,000 last month for conduct detrimental to the league after sitting their best players in clutch time despite their health.
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Jazz owner Ryan Smith and head coach Will Hardy have discussed the optics of the situation without outright denying that the team is tanking. Smith is likely one of the owners the NBPA is targeting in its press release.
The NBPA’s statement doesn’t appear to offer a strong endorsement of commissioner Adam Silver’s potential new initiatives to curb tanking, such as freezing the lottery odds during the season or prohibiting teams from landing top picks in consecutive drafts.
Ultimately, the current tanking issue may require drastic measures to fix.
