Suns owner Mat Ishbia calls for 'massive changes' to stop NBA tanking
AUSTIN – Phoenix Suns All-Star Devin Booker fielded a ton of questions during NBA All-Star media day Feb. 14, with one about tanking and how the league can punish teams for doing it. “I haven't thought about it much,” Booker said. “I'm sure they can think of something. It's not good for our game.” Suns team owner Mat Ishbia was a bit more vocal about it. Quoting a Yahoo!
Sports article about NBA commissioner Adam Silver addressing tanking, Ishbia wrote, “tanking is losing behavior done by losers,” and much more. This is ridiculous! Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a “strategy” is ridiculous.
If you are a bad team, you get a… https://t.co/VoUx3YEdB5 — Mat Ishbia (@Mishbia15) February 19, 2026 “This is ridiculous!” Ishbia tweeted. “Tanking is losing behavior done by losers. Purposely losing is something nobody should want to be associated with. Embarrassing for the league and for the organizations. And the talk about this as a “strategy” is ridiculous. If you are a bad team, you get a good pick.
That makes sense.
But purposely shutting down players and purposely losing games is a disgrace and impacts the integrity of whole league.” Tanking has been a part of the NBA fabric for decades in hopes of landing a high draft pick, but the topic reached a new level of discussion after the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 for “conduct detrimental to the league” related to their games against the Orlando Magic on Feb.
7 and the Miami Heat on Feb. 9. Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson, Jr., checked out of the games before the beginning of the fourth quarter and didn’treturn even though they were able to keep playing and “the outcomes of the games were thereafter in doubt.” The Jazz lost to the Magic, 120-117 and defeated the Heat, 115-111. Utah has the third-worst record in the Western Conference at 18-38.
"I haven't thought about it much. I'm sure they can think of something. It's not good for the game." Suns All-Star Devin Booker when asked about teams tanking. On difference between Suns last season and this season: "Everything is different.
We have a different coach.… pic.twitter.com/zZmexCHrgQ — Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) February 14, 2026 “This is much worse than any prop bet scandal,” Ishbia continued in his X post. “This is throwing games strategically. Horrible for fans that pay to watch and cheer on their team.
And horrible for all the real teams that are competing for playoff spots.” The Suns (32-23) were seventh in the West heading into the Feb. 19 game vs. San Antonio in Austin. The top six teams from each conference make the playoffs, while teams 7-10 compete in the play-in tournament for the seventh and eighth seeds.
“Awful behavior that Adam Silver and the NBA will need to stop with massive changes, and I have complete confidence that with his leadership, he will fix it,” Ishbia added.