NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
The practice of NBA teams losing games to increase their draft lottery odds remains hotly debated.
The NBA can claim progress, and just last month introduced several anti-tanking proposals to its board. But that hasn’t stopped Warriors forward Draymond Green from offering a more difficult possible solution.
After the Warriors’ 110-105 win over the Kings on Tuesday, Green called for the NBA to take a bolder stance on issuing teams for tanking.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
“I think I get fined when I do wrong,” Green said. “Absolutely damn people. We love taking money from players, keep fining the teams. I’ve seen two fines. And we all know everybody who goes on gas. But you’ve seen two fines.”
November 15, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) discusses a call with referee Brian Forte (45) in the third quarter against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Chase Center. (D. Ross Cameron/Imagn Image)
Green’s comments appeared to refer to recent fines the NBA issued to the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers. The league ruled the Jazz engaged in “conduct prejudicial to the league” after several top players were ejected late in two games in February.
Utah was fined $500,000. The Pacers were fined $100,000 for violating the NBA’s player participation policy during an early February game against the Jazz. Green is pushing for the league to get more aggressive fine teams when tanking is suspected.
NBPA URGES TANKING AS BOKKE WEIGHS GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO SHUTDOWN
“If it was players (the league) would have grabbed that money in a heartbeat,” Green continued. “Why isn’t it the same? Everybody loves money. The punishment for players is always, let’s take the money. Well, now it’s time to punish teams and suddenly nobody knows what to do. Why not? We know exactly what to do when someone gets a technical foul. Or suspended for a game. We know exactly what to do.”
A basketball is placed on the court next to an NBA logo during a break in the first half of a 2023 NBA Summer League game between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Houston Rockets at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 7, 2023 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
The final stretch of the 2025-26 season sparked renewed debate about how to stem tanking, as teams with dwindling playoff hopes looked to eye the best prospects in the summer draft.
“All of a sudden we got team problems, we don’t know what to do,” Green added. “What happened to the whole money thing? Everyone else is trying to hit a quota too. But when it comes to player discipline, we want to grab the money as fast as we can. When it comes to team discipline, and we see 12 teams going, we’ve seen two fines. If my math serves me right, it’s just a quick trip that could be a mistake. Don’t judge me if it’s wrong.
“But we don’t keep the same energy when it comes to teams, when it comes to referees, when it comes to everybody other than players, we don’t keep the same energy. But this is a players’ league.”
Before tackling tanking, Green weighed in on the Play-In Tournament, a concept largely credited to NBA commissioner Adam Silver. The format was designed in part with the aim of curbing tanking.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the Emirates NBA Cup Finals press conference at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Kirby Lee/Imagn Images)
“I think it worked in the beginning, and now to have a team stuck in 10th place, it doesn’t work,” Green said. “So we could have lost our last 15 games and been stuck in the 10, it doesn’t work. It kind of worked, but if you can be stuck in the 10 and lose the last 15 games of your season and you can be stuck in the 10, it doesn’t work.”
Golden State enters Wednesday in 10th place in the Western Conference standings and has clinched a Play-In spot. Green remembered what the format was designed to do when it was first introduced.
“I think the Play-In was made so the teams wouldn’t have to fight,” he said. “I think that’s the part that everybody forgets. The Play-In got teams like maybe even 12 or 13 to keep going. They don’t hang on. They slowed down a little bit and then they hit the brakes.”
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
Green, who has spent his entire career with the Warriors and won four NBA titles, acknowledged the stark contrast between preparing for the Play-In Tournament and a deep playoff run as a true contender.
“You go on the road in a game that you have to win, I think as a competitor you’re going to rise to the challenge,” the four-time All-Star said. “But I’m not going to sleep (Wednesday) night like, man, we got this Play-In next week, I’ve got to rest. Nah, it’s not that exciting.”
