The Sacramento Kings found themselves at the center of a tanking controversy this week, but according to ESPN’s Anthony Slater, the reality is far less dramatic than the discourse surrounding it.
Appearing on Sactown Sports’ The Drive Guys, Slater made it clear that the NBA’s investigation into the Kings stemmed more from public pressure than actual intent to lose games.
As first reported by Slater earlier this week, the NBA was reviewing a late-game situation from Tuesday in Golden State that saw Sacramento commit an intentional foul while in the bonus in a close game with three minutes remaining.
Per Slater, team sources insisted the decision to foul Warriors guard Seth Curry late in the fourth quarter was simply a coaching error by Doug Christie—not an intentional tanking move.
The controversy was amplified postgame when Draymond Green publicly questioned Sacramento’s intent, suggesting the Kings were engaging in tanking behavior.
“I mean, probably none of it happens, to be honest,” Slater said. “If Draymond Green doesn’t say that, I don’t think it happens.”
Green’s public comments questioning late-game strategy brought league-wide attention to a moment specifically involving Christie. But after review, the NBA determined the situation was not a deliberate attempt to tank.
(Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
“The investigation was pretty simple,” Slater explained. “It clearly wasn’t intentional tanking. It was just a coaching mistake.”
That distinction matters, especially as the league continues to grapple with a growing tanking problem. While teams like the Jazz and Pacers were fined earlier this season, enforcement has been inconsistent.
“They implement rules, punish early, and think it’ll stop behavior… then they don’t follow through,” Slater said. “It feels like they shifted focus to long-term solutions instead.”
As for Christie, Slater downplayed the significance of the mistake, noting that similar or worse coaching errors happen across the league.
“It was loud and probably embarrassing, but there are way more detrimental coaching mistakes,” he said. “I don’t think that one moment should impact his future.”
Instead, the bigger issue may be how tanking is shaping the NBA’s developmental environment. Slater pointed to examples of young players losing valuable experience in favor of intentional losses.
“When you’re just trying to lose, you’re taking reps away from young players,” he said. “You’re basically telling them winning doesn’t matter.”
(Photo by Billie Weiss/Getty Images)
That reality puts teams like Sacramento in a difficult position. While some organizations fully embrace tanking for draft position, the Kings have attempted to remain somewhat competitive, winning seven of their past nine games and dropping from first to fourth in the NBA Draft Lottery standings.
“There’s also grumbling like, ‘What are the Kings doing?’” Slater said. “If they leaned in harder, maybe they’d have better lottery odds.”
Ultimately, the Sacramento Kings avoided punishment, but the situation highlights a broader tension across the NBA — one in which competitive integrity, player development, and draft positioning continue to collide.
Check out the full conversation at the top of the page or by heading over to the Sactown Sports YouTube channel.
Listen to The Drive Guys from 2 – 6 p.m. PST, Monday through Friday, on Sactown Sports 1140.
When is the next Sacramento Kings game?
The Sacramento Kings will play their final home game of the 2025-26 season on Friday night when they face Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors at Golden 1 Center.
Be sure to catch all of the Sacramento Kings vs. Golden State Warriors action right here on Sactown Sports 1140 AM, with pregame coverage beginning at 5:30 PM PT on Game Night before a 7:00 pm PT tip-off from downtown Sacramento.
More Sacramento Kings content from Sactown Sports
Upcoming Sacramento Kings schedule for the 2025-26 season
Friday, April 10th vs. Golden State Warriors – 7:00 PM PT
Sunday, April 12th @ Portland Trail Blazers – 5:30 PM PT (End of season)
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