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NBA commissioner Adam Silver sends message to tanking teams

Sat Feb 14 6:53pm ET
Field Level Media

INGLEWOOD, Calif. -- Nothing is worse than a sore loser, except maybe an intentional one.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressed a number of topics facing the league at his annual All-Star Weekend press conference on Saturday and the biggest of them at the present time surrounds teams tanking for better draft picks.

The Utah Jazz were just fined $500,000 for limiting the court time of two of its best players, while the Indiana Pacers were docked $100,000 for roster manipulation that kept three starters from a recent game.

Silver is not ignorant of the reasons why teams would prefer to lose during a season that has already gone sideways. But he is not shy about pointing out that their blatant approach is an eyesore.

"Are we seeing behavior that is worse this year than we've seen in recent memory? Yes, is my view," Silver said before All-Star Saturday festivities. "Which was what led to those fines, and not just those fines but to my statement that we're going to be looking more closely at the totality of all the circumstances this season in terms of teams' behavior, and very intentionally wanted teams to be on notice."

It's the integrity of the game that Silver says gives him the most pause.

While $600,000 in fines were handed out this week alone, Silver says the league could impose additional penalties, up to and including the forfeiture of the teams' draft picks.

"I think we're coming at it in two ways," Silver said. "One is, again, focusing on the here and now, the behavior we're seeing from our teams and doing whatever we can to remind them of what their obligation is to the fans and to their partner teams. But No. 2 ... the competition committee started earlier this year re-examining the whole approach to how the draft lottery works."

While Silver also addressed NBA expansion, he said more details will be known next month. The WNBA's labor strife was framed as a more pressing issue, with the commissioner hopeful that the upcoming season will spur a willingness to reach a deal.

"I'm not ready to set a drop-dead date, but I will say, as I look at the calendar and the amount that we need to get done really over the next two months, because training camps are scheduled to open roughly two months from now," Silver said.

"... I'm encouraged there has been more back and forth over the past few weeks. I think there's been more direct engagement from players and team owners. I have not been at the table, but I'm very involved behind the scenes."

Las Vegas and Seattle have been rumored to be next in line for NBA expansion teams, with Silver neither confirming nor denying interest in either city. He did say the NBA is not considering relocating any of its teams at this time.

"My sense is at the March board of governors meetings we'll be having further discussions around an expansion process," Silver said. "We won't be voting at the March meeting, but we will likely come out of those meetings ready, prepared to take a next step in terms of potentially talking to interested parties."

--Doug Padilla, Field Level Media