Tanking Hall of Shame: Sixers Jazz Warriors Mavericks

The story ranks the NBA’s most shameless tank jobs and shows how losing has gotten tactical. Teams now weaponize "development" and "injury management" to chase better draft odds, cap space and long-term timelines. It runs through examples from the 'Process' Sixers and LeBron-era Cavs to Memphis, Portland, Utah, Charlotte and more, noting fines and rule tweaks that have so far failed to stop the chase for franchise-changing picks. Merlin sees seasons as chessboards where GMs sacrifice pieces now for larger gains later. Some gambles paid off, like Oklahoma City, Boston and Cleveland, while others backfired or cost fan faith, as in Charlotte or Golden State’s James Wiseman pick. The league’s nudges have altered moves but not the game.