Tanking, or intentionally losing games, is one of the hot NBA strategies in the 2020’s. Teams sit suddenly-injured players, forget to sub in stars, or sign superstars from the Sesame Street rec league to 10-day contracts, all in search of the elusive late-season loss. The big prizes are high odds for lottery picks in the NBA Draft, potential worth selling a franchise’s soul for.
Today Anthony Slater of ESPN wrote an extensive article on the proliferation of tanking, its methodology, frequency, and
the league-wide itching that has accompanied it. The piece is peppered with anecdotes, including one from former Portland Trail Blazers wing Josh Hart.
Knicks forward Josh Hart was traded to a tanking Portland Trail Blazers team at the 2022 deadline. He said that type of environment has a different impact depending on the human.
“Some players are just happy to be out there and just shoot terrible shots and just do whatever,” Hart said. “But for quote, unquote ‘winning’ players, it is extremely frustrating.”
Hart came to the Trail Blazers in February, 2022 along with Nickeil Alexander-Walker, a couple of other minor players, and draft picks in exchange for CJ McCollum, Larry Nance, Jr., and Tony Snell. The Blazers won 27 games the season they acquired Hart, 33 the year after. They traded Hart almost a year to the day later, sending him to the New York Knicks where he still plays.
The Blazers, meanwhile, are trying to earn their first season with a +.500 record in five years, fighting to reach the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
