The NBA's Tanking Trouble

The NBA's trade deadline has just passed, but discussions about teams intentionally losing games—often referred to as "tanking"—have already resurfaced earlier than expected, even before the All-Star break. This was highlighted by a recent incident involving the Utah Jazz, who chose not to play key players like Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkić, and newly acquired Jaren Jackson Jr. in the fourth quarter of a close game against the Orlando Magic, leading to a loss after having a lead.

This move by the Jazz sparked widespread conversation across the league, with many observers noting a growing trend among nearly one-third of NBA teams. These teams appear to be adopting strategies aimed at losing as many games as possible for the remainder of the regular season, a tactic often used to improve draft positioning.

The author notes that over the weekend, conversations with players, coaches, team executives, and agents consistently turned to this topic, underscoring its prominence in current league discussions. In response, the author has decided to revive their "Monday Musings" column to share opinions and insights gathered from post-trade deadline rumors and personnel updates during All-Star Week.

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