Sacramento Kings under scrutiny after late foul sparks tanking debate
The Sacramento Kings are at the center of a fresh tanking debate after a late foul in a 110-105 loss to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday night. Draymond Green called the play an example of teams tanking, while the NBA is now looking into the sequence, with the Kings offering a different explanation. The issue has quickly become a wider test of how the league handles intentional late-game decisions and whether the Sacramento Kings crossed a line.
Late foul puts Sacramento Kings back in the spotlight
With the Sacramento Kings ahead by one point and time running down in the fourth quarter, forward Doug McDermott intentionally fouled Seth Curry, sending the Warriors guard to the free-throw line. Green questioned the move after the game and used it to argue that the league should punish teams more aggressively when tanking appears to be happening. He said he saw the foul with three minutes left “for no reason” and said the team was in the penalty.
The NBA is looking into the matter, and the Kings’ defense centers on game-management rather than intent. A source familiar with the team’s position said coach Doug Christie wanted to use a timeout before automatically losing it with three minutes left and did not realize Golden State was already in the bonus. That detail matters because Seth Curry is an 86. 4% career free throw shooter, making him the kind of player a team would normally avoid fouling unless it believed there was another strategic reason.
Draymond Green pushes for stronger punishment
Green’s frustration went beyond the single possession. He said the league fine structure hits players quickly when they make mistakes, but teams do not face the same pressure. “Just fine the hell out of people, ” Green said, adding that the league should keep fining teams when tanking appears to be taking place. He pointed to two previous team fines and argued that more punishment is needed if the NBA wants to stop the behavior.
Green also tied the issue to what he sees as a broader league problem. He said the punishment for players is usually to “take the money, ” and asked why teams do not face the same treatment. In his view, if the league can act fast on player discipline, it should do the same when it sees team behavior that looks designed to influence results.
What the league is reviewing now
The current review comes after the league already fined the Utah Jazz $500, 000 and the Indiana Pacers $100, 000 in February for conduct tied to player availability and participation. Those punishments are part of the backdrop for the Sacramento Kings case, which has pulled the team into the season-long debate over tanking.
There is also a bigger incentive hanging over the standings: with a highly regarded 2026 draft class ahead, teams near the bottom have reason to think about their long-term position. Seven NBA teams have 25 wins or fewer with only a few games left in the regular season, and that has sharpened attention on late-game decisions like the one involving the Sacramento Kings. The next step is likely to come from the league’s review, which will determine whether the possession is treated as tactical error, a rules issue, or something more serious for the Sacramento Kings.
