The NBA Draft Lottery is set for this Sunday, and it's shaping up to be one of the most pivotal days of the 2025-26 season—not because of playoff action, but because it will reveal just how many teams truly sacrificed wins for a shot at a brighter future. Tanking, the practice of intentionally losing to secure better draft positioning, has long been a dirty word in the league, and this past season brought it into sharp focus like never before.
Commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear he wants to stamp out the trend, and for good reason: the bottom five teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences were so far from the Play-In Tournament that it was hard to call their seasons competitive. While some executives around the NBA play coy about the issue, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens isn't one of them. During his exit interview Wednesday at the Auerbach Center, Stevens offered a refreshingly honest take on the state of the league.
"You have to consider, especially for next year, there were a lot of teams in the NBA that were playing for draft positioning this year," Stevens said. His words carry weight, especially as the league looks ahead to the 2026-27 season—a campaign he believes could be defined by more competition and less tanking.
The Celtics, for their part, took a different path. Even with star forward Jayson Tatum sidelined for much of the regular season due to injury, Boston refused to wave the white flag. They played hard, exceeded expectations, and finished second in the East with a 56-26 record. But the postseason told a different story: the Green Team squandered a 3-1 series lead against the rival Philadelphia 76ers and bowed out in the first round, a bitter end to a gritty season.
Stevens didn't sugarcoat the disappointment. While he praised the team's resilience and head coach Joe Mazzulla's efforts, he made it clear that competing isn't enough—the Celtics need to contend with the league's elite. "I know how hard that job is," Stevens said of Mazzulla's role, acknowledging the challenges ahead.
As the NBA evolves, the conversation around tanking is heating up. Stevens' comments hint at a future where the draft lottery might matter less and the court matters more—a shift that could make the 2026-27 season one of the most competitive in recent memory. For fans and players alike, that's a win worth waiting for.