nfl

NBA, NFL Must Change Draft to Stop Tanking

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver admits tanking stems from misaligned incentives between winning and securing draft positions.

Silver stated that the only way to ensure game integrity in an age of legalized gambling is to fully align incentives by revolutionizing how draft order is determined. Any effort tying draft order to performance incentivizes teams not to try to win.

While more common in the NBA, tanking also occurs in the NFL, with teams potentially shelving star players to secure higher draft positions, as seen with the Raiders potentially sacrificing defensive end Maxx Crosby and tight end Brock Bowers for the No. 1 pick.