NBA Commissioner Adam Silver announced Wednesday that the league will implement fundamental changes to its draft system to address the growing problem of tanking. Following a two-day board of governors meeting, Silver emphasized that fixing this issue is his top priority, calling it a matter of business, basketball, and league integrity.

Silver revealed that the NBA will hold a special board of governors meeting in May to discuss the changes, which will be in place before next season. The commissioner noted that the current system creates perverse incentives for teams in the lottery to deliberately lose games, particularly with the highly anticipated 2026 draft class approaching. He acknowledged the difficulty in distinguishing between legitimate rebuilding and strategic losing.

The urgency of the situation was underscored by Silver's statement that 'we are going to fix it. Full stop.' He suggested that the changes could be more dramatic than previous incremental adjustments made over the past four attempts to curb tanking. The commissioner emphasized that the league must act decisively to preserve competitive integrity and maintain fan interest in games where both teams are genuinely competing.