Solution for the NBA to fix its tanking problem: Count wins - ESPN

ON THURSDAY NIGHT, the Indiana Pacers will be in the nation's capital to face the Washington Wizards and tip off the NBA's post-All Star break schedule.

It's a game that should be compelling. Ivica Zubac, Indiana's recently acquired starting center, has yet to play a game for the club. The same goes for both of Washington's recent All-Star acquisitions, point guard Trae Young and big man Anthony Davis. Throw in the presence of Pacers All-Star forward Pascal Siakam, and that's a lot of reasons to tune into a game between teams with a combined 29 wins.

Instead, Zubac remains out with an ankle injury that was announced by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle after Indiana made the trade — one that didn't prevent him from playing in 15 of 16 games before the LA Clippers dealt him. Young remains sidelined with leg injuries the Wizards diagnosed when they obtained him last month from the Atlanta Hawks, as does Davis with a hand injury he suffered before being acquired from the Dallas Mavericks earlier this month.

Meanwhile, later Thursday, the Utah Jazz will visit the Memphis Grizzlies in what would've been a homecoming of Jaren Jackson Jr., who was acquired in a stunning deal by the Jazz ahead of the Feb. 5 trade deadline.

Instead, Utah — after playing Jackson in a few games and getting fined $500,000 for its handling of his and Lauri Markkanen's playing time in a contest it won in Miami — shut down Jackson for the season after knee surgery. Both teams now seem invested only in piling up losses through the end of the season.

Instead of two games with exciting storylines for fans, these are anything but. And it's because these three teams — Indiana, Washington and Utah — all have draft picks this year whose value depends on how high