NBA Fines: Draymond Green's Radical Solution to Tanking

The NBA is facing increasing discussion about teams intentionally losing games to improve their draft positioning, a practice commonly referred to as 'tanking.' In response, the league's Board of Governors is scheduled to vote on potential anti-tanking measures during a meeting on May 28. One of the proposed ideas involves flattening the NBA lottery odds, though this could inadvertently encourage teams near the play-in tournament to drop out of postseason contention.

Amidst these considerations, player Draymond Green has put forth his own solution. Following an incident where the Sacramento Kings intentionally fouled an opponent, Green suggested a more direct punitive approach: fining teams that engage in tanking behavior. He believes monetary penalties, or other forms of punishment like impacting cap space or forfeiting draft picks, would be a more effective deterrent than changes to lottery odds.

This proposal comes after the NBA has already levied fines against teams like the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers earlier in the season for conduct detrimental to the league or related to player participation policies. Green argues that such fines directly address the motivation to tank, which stems from the high value placed on top draft picks. The effectiveness of any new measures will depend on their ability to create a punishment severe enough to outweigh the potential reward of a favorable draft selection.