Draymond Green urges heavy NBA fines for tanking
Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green called for the NBA to impose steep fines on teams suspected of tanking after his team's 110-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings. Green also declared the league's play-in tournament ineffective at curbing the practice. The four-time NBA champion argued the league fines players readily but spares teams despite widespread tanking.
Green referenced fines levied against the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers earlier this year. The NBA fined Utah $500,000 for conduct detrimental to the league after resting top players late in two February games. Indiana drew a $100,000 penalty for violating the player participation policy in a February matchup against Utah.
The Warriors hold the 10th spot in the Western Conference and have secured a play-in tournament berth entering Wednesday. Green noted the format initially deterred tanking by incentivizing teams around seeds 10 through 12 to compete. He contended it now fails, as teams can lose their final 15 games yet remain stuck in 10th.
Green contrasted the intensity of a true playoff push with play-in preparation. The league presented anti-tanking proposals to its board of governors last month amid ongoing debate over intentional losses to improve draft lottery odds.
