the.com/tanking
losing on purpose, professionally, so you can lose less next year.
means deliberately underperforming now to gain future advantage, usually draft picks or leverage.
from military slang for a boxer taking a dive migrated into sports management, where teams realized losing bad enough guarantees a shot at drafting the next superstar.
nba origindraft lottery created in 1985 specifically to discourage it
philly 76erstrust the process era made it a strategy brand
chess useplayers sometimes tank clocks, not just games
legal riskleagues can fine teams for provable tanking