Adam Silver Signals Potential Draft Pick Penalties in Fight Against Tanking

Nothing is worse than a sore loser, except maybe an intentional one.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed a number of topics facing the league at his annual All-Star Weekend press conference on Saturday and the biggest of them at the present time surrounds teams tanking for better draft picks.

The Utah Jazz were just fined $500,000 for limited court time of two of its best players, while the Indiana Pacers were docked $100,000 for roster manipulation that kept three starters from a recent game.

Silver is not ignorant as to the reasons why teams would prefer to lose during a season that has already gone sideways. But he is not shy about showing that the blatant way they are going about it is an eyesore.

“Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we’ve seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view,” Silver said before All-Star Saturday festivities. “Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we’re going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams’ behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice.”

It’s the integrity of the game that Silver says gives him the most pause.

While $600,000 in fines were handed out this week alone, Silver says the league could offer more punishments, up to and including the draft picks the teams are so intent on making as valuable as possible.

“I think we’re coming at it in two ways,” Silver said. “One is, again, focusing on the here and now, the behavior 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. But No. 2, ... the competition committee started earlier this year reexamining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works.”

While Silver also addressed NBA expansion, he said more on the topic will be known next month. The WNBA’s labor strife was presented as a far more pressing issue, with the commissioner hopeful that the approaching season will create an eagerness to reach a deal.

“I’m not ready to set a drop-dead date, but I will say, as I look at the calendar and the amount that we need to get done really over the next two months, because training camps are scheduled to open roughly two months from now,” Silver said.

“... I’m encouraged there has been more back and forth over the past few weeks. I think there’s been more direct engagement from players and team owners. I have not been at the table, but I’m very involved behind the scenes.

Las Vegas and Seattle have been rumored to be the next in line for NBA expansion teams, with Silver not confirming or denying the interest in either city. He did say that the NBA is not looking into relocation of one of its teams at the time.

“My sense is at the March board of governors meetings we’ll be having further discussions around an expansion process,” Silver said. “We won’t be voting at the March meeting, but we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties.”