Mar 07, 2026
3 min read
Speaking on the Tim Tolbert Show on Tuesday, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr called on NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to address the NBA's tanking problem.
An angry Steve Kerr held his head in his hands.He was imitating Adam Silver.
The Warriors coach imagined the NBA commissioner's reaction when he heard another possible solution to the league's tanking problem.Then he offered his own suggestion.
Kerr agreed with podcast host Tom Tolbert on Tuesday, saying, "Even the odds. Everybody has an equal chance."The only thing I would add is that there has to be a lot of incentive to get to the playoffs."
Ever since the Jazz got their starters for the game they were winning just before the All-Star break, everyone from Bill Simmons to Silver himself has weighed in on the situation.The only thing that is universally agreed upon is that the problem exists.
Kerr was quick to point out the dire circumstances of this season in particular, with a draft class considered loaded and more than a handful of teams already in rebuilding mode.
Still, "I think something needs to be done," Kerr said.
With Steph Curry injured and Jimmy Butler out until next year, the Warriors aren't immune to the idea of losing the rest of their games to take advantage of the lottery.They certainly didn't try during the pandemic when Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant were all injured.
The idea would be even more appealing if all 14 teams had an equal chance -- about 7.14 percent -- of the first pick, as Kerr suggested.To counter this, Kerr proposed a financial incentive for playoff teams.
"Maybe some downsizing. Maybe some exception to the cap. Maybe there's a real monetary incentive just from the revenue," Kerr said. "But you can't have a No. 9 or No. 10 team saying, 'Eh, it's not really worth it, we're going to play a seed and still lose, we might as well tank.'
"Because now you're looking at the same thing. So there should be a big incentive to keep the playoffs as well."
Teams already get more revenue from playoff ticket sales — that's helped line the Warriors' pockets for years — so Tolbert, the host, offered another suggestion: extra home games this season, which would provide cash and a competitive edge.
"Everybody has a lottery idea," laughs Kerr."You've got yours. I've got mine. ... Nobody cares. Well, everybody doesn't care, but nobody cares about your idea."
"I know we have to make a change. Adam Silver has said: Change is coming. You can't have a league where the team wants to lose. You can't. I think we can do it. But there are a million ways."
