The Nets are on notice for their tanking ways, but they can’t let the NBA’s threats stop them

Over NBA All-Star weekend, commissioner Adam Silver had some uncharacteristically pointed warnings for the third of the league currently tanking.

The Nets clearly fall in that category.

But they can’t afford to fail in that category.

How the Nets fare in May’s draft lottery will impact their future plans, just as much as how their current crop of five first-round rookies does, or even whether a star like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Donovan Mitchell becomes available in the summer. It could be the root node of their decision tree.