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Report: NBA plans to add anti-tanking rules next season

There could be some significant changes coming to the NBA next season.

Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly informed all general managers that the NBA plans to enact anti-tanking rules next season, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania on Thursday.

Here’s what you need to know.

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Anti-tanking

Tanking and load management for star players have been major areas of concern for the NBA for years.

The NBA recently attacked load management by setting minimum-games requirements to win major individual awards and now they are focusing on preventing teams from tanking.

According to Charania, the proposed new rules include:

  • First-round draft picks can be protected only in the top four or top 14+.
  • Lottery odds freeze at the trade deadline or a later date.
  • No longer allowing teams to pick top four in consecutive years and/or after consecutive bottom-three finishes.
  • Teams can’t pick top four the year after making conference finals.
  • Lottery odds allocated based on two-year records.
  • Lottery extended to include play-in teams.
  • Flattening odds for all lottery teams.

Silver was described as “forceful” about his desire to solve the problem of tanking.

Losing on purpose has been a growing issue in recent weeks, with teams like the Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers singled out.

Sacramento just ruled out two of their top players, Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis, for the season after both underwent surgery. Sabonis was playing up until the all-star break.

The Jazz and Pacers were each recently fined for roster management decisions, which essentially means they were sitting healthy players. Utah was fined $500,000 and Indiana was fined $100,000.

Utah didn’t play Jaren Jackson Jr. or Lauri Markkanen in the fourth quarter of two different games despite close scores and both players playing in the first three quarters.

Meanwhile, Indiana held out Pascal Siakam and two other starters in a Feb. 3 loss. Ironically that loss came against Utah.