NBA Tank Score: A tanktastic power ranking of tanking teams

Tanking has begun. Forget April nosedives. That was a 2010s thing. March? That was so last year. The NBA’s annual tanking ritual, in all its spirited glory, is now taking place as early as February. Yes, before the All-Star break.

Last week, the NBA fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 for tanking and hit the Indiana Pacers with a $100,000 fine for their own unsavory efforts. In the news release, commissioner Adam Silver vowed: “Overt behavior like this that prioritizes draft position over winning undermines the foundation of NBA competition and we will respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games. Additionally, we are working with our Competition Committee and Board of Governors to implement further measures to root out this type of conduct.”

Silver sounded the alarm in his annual All-Star news conference over the weekend, saying tanking is as bad as he’s seen it. The teams have been put on notice.

We’ll see how they react. To figure out why the Utah Jazz were resting star players Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. in fourth quarters already, it’s important to understand that this year presents the perfect storm of tanking. 

There are three primary reasons why it’s become the topic du jour, and Silver’s fiery comments will do little to change the following realities:

For one, it’s a frothy draft class with Cam Boozer (my favorite prospect), AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Caleb Wilson and others making NBA executives weak in the knees. There was only one Wemby in his draft class. It was seen as a “Cooper Flagg and then everybody else” kind of class last year. This time around, there might be several prospects whom front office people could view as The One. Thus, getting a top-4 pick is akin to having the No. 1 pick in any given year — except with the low-key sweetener that you can sign that player to a cheaper rookie scale contract than that of the No. 1 guy.

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Secondly, the NBA’s decision to flatten the draft lottery odds beginning in 2019 has backfired. Evidently, it has not stopped the losers’ race to the bottom; the league just opened up the race to more standings plungers. Now, a team on the fringe of the playoff race could realistically have a chance at a top-four pick, which before was nothing more than a statistical Hail Mary. Before 2019, in the previous era, the No. 10 team in the draft lottery would have a measly 4% chance at a top-four pick, but those odds more than tripled to as much as 14% in the new model. Furthermore, the odds of actually winning the lottery, in the No. 10 slot, also tripled from 1.1% to 3%.

Third, that nasty cognitive trick … good ol’ recency bias. A 3% chance at winning anything might seem on paper like a foolish pipe dream — until it happens. And happens again. The last two draft lotteries were won by teams in the No. 10 (2024) and No. 11 (2025) draft slots. A GM trying to convince an owner of a fringe play-in team that it’s in the franchise’s best interest to lose games may not have been particularly persuasive in prior years.  But then the Atlanta Hawks soared from No. 10 to land the No. 1 overall pick. And then the real kicker: the 11-seeded Dallas Mavericks got Flagg.

Put it all together and we could have as many as 11 teams, over a third of the NBA, who are either already awful or outright trying to lose — and oftentimes both. More could join the party soon. So which team will be the Top Tanker? Let’s rank them based on five categories in a five-point system with a 5 being the strongest tanking power. (I’m weighting the “Draft Incentive” factor 10 points due to its huge influence on the proceedings.)

• Draft Incentive. Do they have their first-round draft pick this year? Is it protected, and by how much? Do they have urgency to tank this season because of draft-pick debt in the future? 

• Tanking Track Record. Are they showing symptoms of tankitis now? Does this front office have a history of tanking behavior or is it new to this party? Has its coach shown a tank-friendly willingness to “develop young players” at the cost of winning in the past?

• Bill of Health. Are there players who have existing injuries or an injury-riddled past that can be weaponized in the tank? Are players already being ruled out with cryptic injuries?

• Youth Movement. Is the roster filled with rookies and youngsters who can fulfill a sudden “development” phase? Or is it a veteran-laden team with players who may object to any DNP-Rest strategies? 

• Tankerific Roster. Do they have any winning players? Do they have any All-Stars that can hurt their quest? Is this a glorified G League team? 

Got it? Without further ado, let’s get to the tank scores … 

11. New Orleans Pelicans

• Record: 15-41 (No. 3 in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Dejounte Murray (Achilles); Trey Murphy III (shoulder; day-to-day)

Tank Score: 15 out of 30

They’re here because they’re horrible, not because they’re horrible onpurpose. The Pelicans are losing their first-round pick no matter what happens, either to their likeliest destination of Atlanta or to Milwaukee. Against all odds, Williamson has played in 30 straight games, which is commendable. If he shows any sign of gimpiness, I’d expect them to shut him down to preserve one of their core pieces in trade talks or, you know, the franchise’s future. 

10. Charlotte Hornets

• Record: 26-29 (12th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Coby White (calf)

Tank Score: 19 out of 30

A glorious recent nine-game win streak may say otherwise, but then again the Clippers were ripping through the NBA before they quickly shifted gears and traded James Harden and Ivica Zubac. The Hornets are a Kon Knueppel injury away from having some serious organizational deliberations about the upcoming draft odds. Even still they can only move up so far in the lotto standings if they pull the plug. As of now, the Hornets are too good to tank. Emphasis on as of now. 

9. Milwaukee Bucks

• Record: 23-30 (9th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf); Myles Turner (calf); Ryan Rollins (foot)

Tank Score: 20 out of 30

To tank or not to tank, that is the question. Giannis’ status can swing this wide open. The Roster Quality factor goes to 5 if he’s out, but I have to be somewhat measured here about their tank potential. 

It’s a common misconception that the Bucks aren’t incentivized to tank. Yes, they don’t “control” their first-round pick as they will receive the least favorable of their pick and New Orleans’ (the most favorable of those two reroutes to Atlanta). Luckily for Milwaukee, the Pelicans are dreadful, so Milwaukee has a good chance of actually benefiting from its own tank job. The Bucks can pick as high as No. 2 in this year’s draft, but if they win the draft lottery, it automatically goes to Atlanta. Everyone around the league is watching the saga that is Cream City. 

8. Indiana Pacers

• Record: 15-40 (4th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Tyrese Haliburton (Achilles; out for season); Ivica Zubac (ankle); Obi Toppin (foot); Johnny Furphy (ACL; out for season)

Tank Score: 21 out of 30

They must really love Ivica Zubac. The Pacers are sending their first-round pick to Hollywood if it lands anywhere from No. 5 to No. 9 on draft lotto night. Given the flattened lottery odds, Indiana can’t guarantee it keeps it, but it can certainly tilt the scales by losing a ton. We’ll see how much it’s been deterred by the commissioner’s slap on the wrist. 

7. Chicago Bulls

• Record: 24-31 (10th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Josh Giddey (hamstring); Noa Essengue (shoulder; out for season); Isaac Okoro (knee); Jalen Smith (calf); Tre Jones (hamstring)

Tank Score: 23 out of 30

That sound you hear is the sigh of relief from Chicago fans who have been begging for this downward direction. After holding a midseason firesale for Nikola Vučević, Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White, the Bulls are finally picking ping-pong balls over purgatory. The delayed tank may not have been timely for maximizing this year’s pick, but hey, better late than never.

6. Sacramento Kings

• Record: 12-44 (No. 1 in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Zach LaVine (finger; out for season); Domantas Sabonis (knee; out for season); Keegan Murray (ankle)

Tank Score: 25 out of 30

Are they tanking or are they just epically bad? Who knows? The team announced both Zach LaVine and Domantas Sabonis will miss the remainder of the season with injuries, which will certainly help efforts to be the Kings of the Tank. The presence of DeMar DeRozan and Russell Westbrook could interfere with their nosedive, but it hasn’t really slowed down their unrelenting march to No. 1 on the reverse standings.

5. Memphis Grizzlies

• Record: 20-33 (8th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Ja Morant (elbow); Zach Edey (ankle); Brandon Clarke (calf); Santi Aldama (knee); Walter Clayton Jr. (knee)

Tank Score: 26 out of 30

Bluff City ain’t bluffing when it comes to their intentions. The Grizzlies stunned league insiders by trading Jaren Jackson Jr. to Utah for draft picks, signaling the Grizzlies are going for ping-pong balls, not the play-in. The Grizzlies have a ton of future draft capital so they don’t need to tank this season, but the small-market team can add top-shelf talent if it plays its cards right.

4. Dallas Mavericks

• Record: 19-35 (7th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Cooper Flagg (foot); Kyrie Irving (out for season; ACL); Dereck Lively (out for season; foot); Caleb Martin (ankle); Daniel Gafford (ankle); Naji Marshall (foot)

Tank Score: 27 out of 30

Mark Cuban says embrace the tank, so who are we to argue? Normally, a sighting of Cooper Flagg in a walking boot would be a nightmare scenario for the Mavericks. But in a world in which Dallas wins by losing, news of Flagg’s gimpy foot will likely help its tanking efforts. Because the Mavericks don’t control their first-round pick until 2031 after this, they receive a maximum tanking incentive score for this season.

3. Brooklyn Nets

• Record: 15-38 (5th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Nic Claxton (hip); Noah Clowney (ankle); Michael Porter Jr. (knee)

Tank Score: 27 out of 30

There’s urgency here even though they don’t have any protections on the pick like Utah and Washington do. Brooklyn owes Houston swap rights on their 2027 first-round pick as a result of the 2020 James Harden trade. Brooklyn’s time to add a face of the franchise through the draft is now. Michael Porter Jr. remains one of the best players in the tank field, but his iffy medical history suggests Brooklyn will be ultra conservative when it comes to allowing him to play through any sort of ailments. 

2. Utah Jazz

• Record: 18-38 (6th in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Jaren Jackson Jr. (knee; out for season); Keyonte George (ankle); Walker Kessler (shoulder; out for season)

Tank Score: 29 out of 30

Silver dropped the hammer on the Jazz for a reason (beyond, of course, their guilt): They have the most to gain by tanking. Not only do they have to secure a top-eight protected pick, but BYU standout AJ Dybantsa is in this draft. If the pick falls outside the top eight on lotto night, it goes to OKC. With Jackson out for the rest of the season following a knee procedure, the tank path is a lot clearer now. The uncertain future of Markkanen in light of the $500,000 fine is the only reason why this isn’t a perfect 30 out of 30 score.

1. Washington Wizards

• Record: 13-39 (No. 2 in draft lottery)

• Injuries of note: Trae Young (knee); Anthony Davis (hand); Alex Sarr (hamstring); Cam Whitmore (shoulder; out for season)

Tank Score: 30 out of 30

Behold, the Washington (Tank) Commanders. Oh, you thought Trae Young was going to play anytime soon? The Wizards thought otherwise, announcing at the time of the trade that he’s out indefinitely with a knee issue. And now star newcomer Anthony Davis may be potentially sidelined for the rest of the season with a tricky hand issue. 

In related news; the Wizards lose their pick to New York if it doesn’t fall in the top eight! With that in mind, they’re sending loud signals that they’re fully committed to the tank. Beyond Trae and AD being put on ice, the Wizards have quietly sat their best players down the stretch in multiple games this season, somehow skirting any penalty from the league. Let’s see if they tempt fate again.