Report: Silver memo stresses tanking will not be tolerated

On Feb. 21, NBA commissioner Adam Silver sent a memo to all 30 franchises regarding tanking, according to USA TODAY's Sam Amick. The message was apparently clear: Teams not giving their best will not be tolerated.

"If we ever received evidence that players or coaches were attempting to lose or otherwise taking steps to cause any game to result otherwise than on its competitive merits, that conduct would be met with the swiftest and harshest response possible from the league office," Silver said in the letter, according to Amick.

The memo comes on the heels of Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban opining that "losing is the best option" for his struggling team. Cuban was promptly fined $600,000 by the NBA, while players like Dirk Nowitzki decried the remarks.

"We have no basis at this time to conclude that the Mavericks team is giving anything less than its best effort on the court, and Mark has assured us that this is not the case," Silver said in the memo. "But even a suggestion that such conduct could be occurring is obviously damaging to our game, as it creates a perception of impropriety."

The league has taken preventative steps over the years to combat the theory that teams out of the playoff hunt will not give 100 percent in games to increase their draft lottery odds. The most egregious example, the Philadelphia 76ers from 2013-16, clearly suited up non-NBA caliber players at times - ultimately leading to former general manager Sam Hinkie's exit.

While it won't start until next year, the three teams with the worst records will share a 14 percent chance of winning the top pick in the draft. Up until and including this season, the NBA's worst team has a 25 percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick through the lottery.

"The integrity of the competition on the playing court is the cornerstone of our league," Silver said. "We must do everything in our power to protect the actual and perceived integrity of the game."