The NBA’s long-standing tolerance for rebuilding quietly ended on February 19th, when commissioner Adam Silver delivered what multiple executives described as a blunt ultimatum to the league’s 30 general managers.
Silver made it clear that the NBA believes the line between development and intentional losing has been crossed, during a league-wide video call organized by executive vice president Evan Wasch.
Silver’s tone was notably sharper than usual, drawing comparisons to former commissioner David Stern, according to executives on the call.
“You could assume for next season your only incentive will be to win games,” Silver said.
The message landed immediately. What had begun as a routine discussion around potential anti-tanking reforms for the 2026–27 season shifted into something far more direct.
When Brooklyn Nets GM Sean Marks raised concerns about teams already committed to multi-year rebuilds being punished mid-cycle, Silver stepped in and changed the tone of the meeting entirely.
Executives said Silver openly challenged the league’s competitive culture rather than attempting to manage it diplomatically. He questioned whether coaches and front offices on rebuilding teams were ever truly aligned, arguing that coaches’ job security depends on winning, not patience.
When one general manager pushed back, insisting his coaching staff supported the organizational direction, Silver countered sharply.
Coaches, he argued, support losing because they have no choice.
That exchange revealed the league’s growing belief that tanking is not strategic alignment but organizational pressure. Silver also acknowledged why executives embrace it. Long rebuilds protect job security, and losing has increasingly been framed as patience instead of failure.
His response, according to those on the call, was unequivocal. The NBA must change incentives so executives no longer feel they need to lose to survive professionally.
League sources believe the urgency is tied to the NBA’s expanding business interests, particularly legalized sports betting. Late-game benchings and healthy players sitting have made outcomes feel manipulated, creating risk not just for fans but for league partners.
“This is not who we are going to be as a league,” Silver told them.
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