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Adam Silver is mulling domestic expansion

The NBA is once again under the microscope for midseason tanking, and it’s recently been the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers drawing the attention.

Commissioner Adam Silver made a statement Thursday that hints at bigger changes, signaling the league is serious about keeping games competitive — at least on paper.

“Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “Additionally, we are working with our competition committee and board of governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”

If the league doesn’t address the incentive structure, tanking will persist as it has in recent years.

Fans notice when games feel meaningless, and engagement drops. That threatens revenue, viewership, and the integrity of the product itself. And given how talented the 2026 NBA Draft is shaping up to be, the attention will only continue to grow.

Jazz and Pacers’ Fines Kickstart NBA’s Tanking Efforts

The Indiana Pacers were hit with a $100,000 fine for a clear rules violation. They sat Pascal Siakam on Feb. 3 against the NBA’s player participation policy. That one was straightforward — break the rule, pay the fine, move on.

The Utah Jazz, however, received a $500,000 fine after sitting Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of tight games against the Orlando Magic (Feb. 7) and Miami Heat (Feb. 9).

Jackson was also ruled out for the season on Thursday to have left knee surgery.

Injuries happen.

That said, the Jazz traded for the 26-year-old All-Star forward mostly to be a cornerstone of the franchise beyond this year.

13th in the Western Conference at 18-38, they’re virtually out of serious playoff, or even play-in conversation.

Adam Silver’s Message To The NBA

As Silver mentioned, the NBA’s competition committee and board of governors are going to continue working to prevent this type of conduct. New rules, tweaks to draft lottery odds, or additional fines if teams get too cute with resting stars in key moments.

The recent Pacers and Jazz fines are the visible tip of a much bigger iceberg.

Good teams rest stars to stay healthy for playoffs. Bad teams rest stars to improve lottery odds. Both manipulate the regular season, but only one gets publicly shamed.

Even after flattening lottery odds a few years ago, the worst teams still see a meaningful advantage in losing. Utah has flirted with this strategy for years, trading away talent and resting stars strategically. The difference this time? They were punished for it — and so were the Pacers.

Cosmetic fixes like limiting pick protections or tweaking the lottery can help, but unless losing stops being advantageous, creative teams will find ways to game the system. Utah and Indiana may be examples now, but they won’t be the last.

The NBA’s fines grab attention, but Silver’s latest reaction suggests the league is strongly considering structural changes to make every game matter again.

How far the NBA is willing to go — and which teams get caught in the crosshairs next — will be the story to watch as the season moves toward March and the lottery looms.