NBA - Main

Like they did in the 90s and earlier?

In addition to what everyone else said. You develop players while tanking and then every player that comes through during the tank and outperforms their contract is either a valuable trade piece that will bring back more picks or a player that could contribute to the teams depth in the future.

Because they would be fined for being that obvious with their tanking

Players association would never stand for an entire team signing nothing but undrafted players, just from a contract standpoint.

When the Process Sixers were openly tanking, the other owners pressured the league into doing something about it because it was hurting their bottom line. This would be even more blatant than what Sam Hinkie was doing

bad for developing any good or decent players you do have

pisses off the players you drafted who wanna be playing

won’t make as much money because fans won’t wanna watch undrafted players lose every night

will probably get investigated by the league for blatantly tanking for not playing your starters anyway

Everyone basically already explained why. Another reason is because no one would pay to attend games if the team was filled with random bums. I'd imagine the decrease in revenue would hurt badly, as will the fines, negative press, player reactions, etc.

Wizards got Poole for a reason.

#NotTheOffseason

Because it’s both an awful way to build a team that you would presumably want to win in the relative near future, and it’s bad for the league as a whole and someone is going to eventually step in and put an end to it.

Lol, have you seen some of the guys on tanking teams? They might as well be literal non basketball players. But for real though, everyone in the NBA can ball and these undrafted scrubs wouldn't stand a chance against actual players.

have you not been watching portland the last couple years?

The product would be too shit I imagine. Bad, but still somewhat good enough teams that compete still sell some tickets and other things.

Good strategy to get fans in the arena.

“Tonight, one lucky fan will get to be the starting center!!!”

Too obvious. The league doesn’t actually care if you flagrantly lose games as long as it’s not too obvious to the casual fan. In recent memory the league had no issue with the Lakers tanking to keep their pick, the spurs resting starters for wemby, OKC doing similar for draft capital. That’s all ok as long as it’s plausibly deniable. The 76ers acknowledging it was the NBAs real issue with their tank job

Grabbing guys from Walmart would be a step too far. It’s okay to be bad, even be bad on purpose, as long as you’re not selling that as the product

Lakers did that a few years with notables like Robert Sacre, Ryan Kelly, and the legendary Marcelo Huertas

Our rosters were very interesting during tanking seasons. Rosters that weren't even good for young player development. Sorta like the rockets last year.

A big part of tanking is figuring out if there are any diamonds in the rough. Even top lottery picks bust. Robert Covington and Jerami Grant were Process Sixers finds (Covington undrafted, Grant 2nd round) who have both gone on to long and productive careers. Covington was part of the trade that brought Jimmy Butler to the 76ers. Grant was traded for a FRP that became Tyrese Maxey. Just playing scrubs who are out of basketball as soon as their contract ends is a surefire way to continue to be terrible as a team for the long term.