Charlotte Hornets Receive: C Kevon Looney
Golden State Warriors Receive: F Kelly Oubre Jr., C Myles Turner
Indiana Pacers Receive: F Andrew Wiggins
At the same time, we don’t mean to fault teams for tanking. It is truly not their fault.
After all, the NBA’s lottery system rewards it. A few years ago, the league flattened its lottery odds in hopes of disincentivizing the practice.
That plan may have backfired: now, teams plan for multiyear tank jobs. If you give them lower odds of landing a top pick in one season, they’ll still find a way to maximize their chances of doing so eventually.
Still, in any given NBA season, most teams will opt against tanking. Usually, it isn’t hard to come up with a reason to, you know, try to win games.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Andrew Wiggins, Golden State Warriors & Indiana Pacers Updates
The Golden State Warriors are the last team in the league that would “focus on development” – they just won the NBA championship. Meanwhile, the Hornets could justify some deliberate losing. On the other hand, if they’re hoping to appease LaMelo Ball, they may need to take a step forward soon.
Finally, the Pacers may well tank this season, but as a small market club with a devout fanbase, they’ve normally avoided doing so.
If they opt to continue on that path, is this the right move for them?