Adam Silver says NBA monitoring ‘critical’ tanking difficulty, sources say

NBA commissioner Adam Silver, in latest feedback to Phoenix Suns workers, addressed potential options for tanking whereas noting that he understands why groups would do it when a “once-in-a-generation participant” is about to enter the league, in response to sources who had been current.

Calling it a “critical difficulty” that has sparked “a whole lot” of conferences, Silver’s feedback got here this week throughout a question-and-answer session within the Suns’ area, the place Silver additionally apologized a number of instances on behalf of the league workplace to a big group of Suns workers for office misconduct below the groups’ majority proprietor Robert Sarver.

Through the session, one worker requested Silver about tanking, a theme that’s broadly anticipated to dominate the league dialog with 7-foot-4 French phenom Victor Wembanyama – a possible franchise-altering prospect – being projected to be the No. 1 total decide within the 2023 draft.

“We put groups on discover,” Silver informed workers. “We will be paying explicit consideration to the problem this 12 months.”

Talking of an idea in European soccer, Silver informed workers that the league has considered relegation as a possible answer to make sure the worst-performing groups are incentivized to compete. However the commissioner then stated relegation can be “destabilizing” to the NBA.

In such a situation, Silver informed workers, relegation would basically imply demoting the worst one or two groups to the G League whereas selling the perfect group or two from the G League to the NBA.

“It will so disrupt our enterprise mannequin,” Silver informed workers. “And even should you took two groups up from the G League, they would not be outfitted to compete within the NBA.”

In an effort to assist scale back tanking, the NBA flattened draft lottery odds in 2019, so now groups with the three worst regular-season data every have a 14% probability of profitable the lottery. (Prior, the group with the worst report had a 25% probability, the second-worst group had a 19.9% probability and the third-worst group had a 15.6% probability.)

Nonetheless, Silver informed workers that tanking stays a difficulty this season.

“It is one thing we’ve got to observe for,” Silver stated. “A draft is, in precept, a very good system. However I get it, particularly when there’s a sense {that a} once-in-a-generation participant is coming alongside, like we’ve got this 12 months.” Silver did not point out Wembanyama by title, sources current stated, however added the league will regulate as needed.

“Groups are smarter, they’re inventive, they usually reply – we transfer, they transfer – so we’re at all times seeking to see whether or not there’s but a greater system,” Silver informed workers.

Silver additionally addressed a query about league growth, which he informed Suns workers the league will have a look at extra intently as soon as it’s by way of its upcoming tv rights negotiations. (The NBA’s present TV rights package deal, a nine-year take care of ESPN and Turner Sports activities, is slated to run out after the 2024-25 season.)

“In an effort to consider any groups coming in, we have to know the place we stand from a media standpoint – that is clearly our most important type of income total,” Silver informed workers.

However Silver additionally mentioned the “potential dilution of expertise” – that’s, including extra groups would weaken the general product.

“None of us can bear in mind going right into a season the place there was a notion of a lot competitors, however, nonetheless, the objective is to have 30 aggressive groups, not 20, or no matter it’s, so assume we do take note of the dilution issue,” he informed workers.

Nonetheless, Silver stated the league is, total, doing effectively and that there isn’t any scarcity of robust candidates for brand new groups in new cities, although he did not title any particular cities. Las Vegas and Seattle are thought-about seemingly candidates for brand new NBA groups ought to the league develop.