This is how the race for tanking will be in the final stretch of the 2026 NBA season

Shameless, blatant, and embarrassing. That's the only way to describe the tanking spiral that many NBA franchises have been immersed in for several weeks now. With the play-in spots already set, a total of 10 teams have the sole objective of losing games to increase their chances of securing top positions in the Draft.

The approaching end of the NBA regular season is the best news possible for many teams lacking competitive goals for the remainder of the season. Tanking is being taken to an extreme, and currently, the Indiana Pacers are the worst team in the NBA. This could significantly distort the upcoming year because once Haliburton returns, the Indianapolis team will aim for everything and could land the top pick or at least one of the best in the next Draft.

Washington Wizards, Brooklyn Nets, and Sacramento Kings are closely following the Pacers in the race to hold the worst record, although the three worst teams will have the same odds in the Draft Lottery to be awarded the top pick. Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, and Memphis Grizzlies are making deliberate efforts to lose and increase their chances of a high pick, while Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks face a very challenging gap and will have to rely on a stroke of good luck.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Así será la carrera por el tanking en el tramo final de la temporada NBA 2026