Former Philadelphia 76ers guard Buddy Hield might be slowly fading away from relevance thanks to his complete lack of playing time with his new team this season, but he might have just impacted a highly divisive debate to a considerable degree with his recent remarks as to his experiences with tanking as a player.
Speaking on the tanking issue in the NBA which has gotten significant attention especially this season, Hield bared the first-hand problems he encountered in Indiana when he was just traded to the Pacers (alongside Tyrese Haliburton) midway through the 2021-22 NBA season in one of the more unexpected deals at the trade deadline in recent years.
It was an extension year. Then when it comes to extension talks, it was like, 'Oh, the numbers, X, Y, Z.' It f---ed up the money. Me and Rick are still close, but that really rubbed me in the wrong way. Tanking just f---ed everything up for everybody."
Former 76ers guard Buddy Hield will surely get the league's attention after latest anti-tanking comments
With the 2026 NBA Draft class widely believed to be one of the most talented and deep batches in recent memory, the divided sentiments against tanking has gotten more time in the limelight. As many as 10 teams this season have been accused of intentionally losing games to give themselves better odds for a top pick, which has apparently frustrated league officials.
As such, the NBA has been engaged in talks with its stakeholders about a reform to the draft policy. Radical changes have been discussed, and from the looks of it, the current setup in the draft lottery will surely not hold up sooner than later.
Hield's comments are distinct in that they point out to a relatively unexplored aspect or consequence of tanking, which is the impact it harbors toward contracts and the market value of players. True enough, teams will be much more mindful and guarded against handing lucrative deals to players who turn in good numbers, but play for squads considered to be tanking games.
Given the radical nature of the change the league is desirous of, conversations will remain highly divided. But for once, it is interesting to see how this kind of sentiment will compel the league to act with even more urgency in implementing their wished reform. After all, the players hold significant gravitas in these discussions.
The 76ers were once the league's poster child when it comes to tanking. But with the draft reforms on the way, no team will likely ever be able to hold the capacity to replicate what they have done when they accumulated a slew of top draft picks.