Adam Silver walked back the possibility of the NBA instituting a relegation and promotion system as a way of disincentivizing tanking.
Last week, Silver told employees of the Phoenix Suns that relegation had been discussed internally at the league office.
Unlike the NBA, most soccer leagues outside the United States compete in an open system rather than franchises.
"I can't say I was deadly serious about relegation, because we don't have the same system as European soccer and it would make no sense to send an NBA team to the G League or a G League team to the NBA," Silver said.
"But obviously that is how other leagues deal with situations like this where they force teams to stay competitive because the consequences of finishing at the bottom of the league are dramatically detrimental to the health of the team. But it's something as I was saying to the folks in Phoenix that we keep our eye on. We understand we are selling competition to our fans."