'It's painful but worthwhile': What players, coaches and execs are saying about the NBA's tanking problem

With tanking strategies growing in both audaciousness and frequency of use, can the league get its arms around the often-effective practice?

'It's painful but worthwhile': What players, coaches and execs are saying about the NBA's tanking problem

With tanking strategies growing in both audaciousness and frequency of use, can the league get its arms around the often-effective practice?

The NBA's tanking debate is heating up, and the conversation inside the league is just as intense as it is among fans. With teams increasingly deploying audacious, long-term strategies to secure top draft picks, the practice has become a painful but often effective reality of the modern game.

From front offices to the locker room, the sentiment is complex. For executives, strategically positioning for a generational talent can be a calculated risk worth the short-term pain of losing. Coaches and players, however, often bear the brunt of this philosophy, tasked with competing nightly while the organization's broader plan points toward future lottery odds.

This internal tension raises a critical question for the league's future: can the NBA find a way to balance competitive integrity with the undeniable lure of the draft? As the strategies grow more frequent and transparent, finding an answer is becoming more urgent than ever.

'It's painful but worthwhile': What players, coaches and execs are saying about the NBA's tanking problem

'It's painful but worthwhile': What players, coaches and execs are saying about the NBA's tanking problem

'It's painful but worthwhile': What players, coaches and execs are saying about the NBA's tanking problem

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