Halford & Brough in the Morning Is Tanking Damaging The NBA Product?
Feb 26, 2026
Bobby Marks, ESPN NBA analyst and former Nets assistant GM, breaks down why tanking is rising and how the lottery rewards losing. He explains tactics teams use to improve draft odds and reactions to teams resting stars and fines. The conversation covers likely lottery changes, practical rule tweaks to discourage tanking, and how these trends have harmed regular-season competitiveness.
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Lottery Structure Encourages Early Season Tanking
- The NBA system currently incentivizes losing because high draft picks remain a primary roster-building tool.
- Bobby Marks cites early-season resting (Utah fined $500,000) and teams trading for injured players as symptoms of that incentive structure.
Incremental Changes More Likely Than Radical Fixes
- The league is considering tweaks rather than eliminating the draft to reduce tanking.
- Marks suggests options like making second-half wins matter more for lottery odds or adjusting pick protections instead of radical changes.
Be Careful Not To Overcorrect The Lottery System
- Avoid dramatic fixes that produce long-term unintended consequences for draft balance.
- Marks warns against overcorrection because weaker draft classes in 2027–28 could be harmed by hasty rule changes.