What are anti-tanking rules? Adam Silver’s direction to NBA GMs for 2026-27 season explained

The NBA is preparing for a significant shift ahead of the 2026-27 season. During a scheduled meeting with all 30 general managers, Commissioner Adam Silver informed team executives that the league plans to introduce new anti-tanking rule changes. League officials believe that as the issue has been a topic of discussion in recent weeks, it has prompted conversations with the board of governors and competition committee.Tanking, the practice of prioritizing draft position over wins, has moved from quiet suspicion to open debate. Recent fines and public comments have intensified scrutiny. According to those present, Silver was described as "forceful" in expressing the need to protect competitive integrity. The league office has now moved from discussion to action.The proposed anti-tanking rules aim to reduce incentives for losing late in the season. Several concepts were discussed in meetings with general managers and the competition committee. These, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania, include:The league has previously adjusted lottery mechanics, including flattening odds in 2019. This latest round of ideas signals a further rethink. Discussions may continue into the upcoming Board of Governors meetings before anything becomes official. The urgency of the matter follows recent enforcement actions. The NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for violating the Player Participation Policy after sitting healthy players in competitive games. The league stated that conduct compromising integrity will not be tolerated.At All-Star Weekend, Silver addressed the issue publicly. He said tanking has been "worse this year than we've seen in recent memory" and that he is considering "every possible remedy" to combat the problem. He later added, “I think we’re coming at it in two ways. One is, again, focusing on the here and now, the behaviour we’re seeing from our teams and doing whatever we can to remind them of what their obligation is to the fans and to their partner teams,” and continued, “We want to have fair competition, we want to have fair systems and to keep an eye on the fans, most importantly, and their expectation that we’re going to be putting the best product forward.”Senior league adviser Mike Krzyzewski also urged a tasteful "attack" on the issue during the GM session.