Let's be honest: following the Jaren Jackson Jr. trade, the Utah Jazz have enough talent on their current roster that, if they wanted, they could have made a playoff push. They're not because tanking was in their best interest, which the NBA has seemingly been paying even closer attention to than last year, but why?
The NBA has controversially fined the Jazz for their manner of tanking, even though that manner was not against the rules. But why now? The Deseret News' Sarah Todd believes it's because the NBA's partnership with gambling companies and their patrons has put them in a position to crack down on what teams like the Jazz are doing.
"It’s important to call a spade a spade and say what everyone is thinking. There is growing belief across the league, in front offices, on coaching staffs and among players, that the NBA is reacting to outrage from the gambling community.
"This isn’t just the belief of those within the league. It’s being whispered in NBA hallways between reporters and team staffers, broadcasters and agents, and the fans have picked up on the inconsistencies from the NBA and how the circumstantial evidence continues to point to gambling as a reason for the recent ire," Todd wrote.
For the record, multiple teams that are in the same tanking class as the Jazz have also taken extreme measures to ensure they're as bad as possible. Washington acquired Trae Young and Anthony Davis weeks ago, and they still have yet to suit up. Ditto for Indiana and Ivica Zubac, who have even more incentive to tank than they already did when they acquired him.
The Pacers have received punishment like the Jazz for benching Pascal Siakam in the fourth quarter, but yet again, that's legal, which warranted no punishment whatsoever.
Gambling has pushed the NBA to take these measures
Todd put it bluntly about how the NBA's partnership with gambling companies has affected how they have approached tanking.
"The NBA doesn’t want to admit that it has opened the door to a problem that has grown beyond its control. The NBA doesn’t want to admit that it can massage the player participation policy to keep the gambling world happy."
In other words, this is about money. Tanking outwardly dissuades customers from placing bets, which means gambling companies' wallets get lighter, which disrupts their partnerships with the NBA.
Well, as luck would have it for the Jazz, while the NBA is trying harder than ever to stop tanking, whatever rules they implement won't interfere with Utah's plans. Following the JJJ trade, landing a high lottery pick, and re-signing Walker Kessler, the Jazz are well-positioned to fight for the highest possible playoff seeding next season, so it won't even matter.
Could this get worse for the NBA?
The NBA has tried to combat tanking, but in all honesty, it will never go away because, while not foolproof, it is the best strategy for small market teams like the Jazz to build a playoff contender.
The NBA first introduced the lottery in 1984 because David Stern didn't like the number of teams that threw their seasons away for their chance to get Hakeem Olajuwon. Over the years, the league has made further revisions to try to limit it, but nothing will stop it entirely whether they like it or not.
The newest anti-tanking rules being proposed is being met with many eyerolls. Not only will it not stop teams from going down this path, but they will also get mad that the league is actively trying to stop them from taking what is the best route for them.
Yes, tanking is rough to watch in real time, but the one thing the NBA cannot do is make the game even more unfair for small markets like Utah than it already is. If they keep doubling down on this, a lot of trouble could be coming their way.