NBA outlines three sweeping anti-tanking plans for draft lottery overhaul
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The NBA on Wednesday briefed its board of governors in New York on three far-reaching proposals designed to curb intentional losing, with a formal vote scheduled for May, according to people familiar with the presentation.
All three concepts would extend draft-lottery eligibility to at least some playoff participants, a dramatic change from the current 14-team system.
Proposal 1: 18-team lottery
The first option would place 18 clubs—the 10 that miss the play-in round and the eight that reach it—into one drawing. Each of the bottom 10 teams would hold identical 8% odds of winning the lottery, while the remaining 20% of odds would be distributed among the eight play-in squads in descending order from 11th to 18th. All 18 picks would be determined by the draw.
Proposal 2: 22-team, two-year model
The second plan would include 22 teams: the same 18 from Proposal 1 plus the four franchises eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Lottery order would be based on combined records over two seasons, mirroring the WNBA system. A minimum win “floor” would be applied each year to discourage excessive losing—for instance, a 14-68 mark would be treated as 20-62 if the floor were 20 victories. Only the top four selections would be drawn.
Proposal 3: “Five-by-Five” format
The third scenario also features 18 teams but separates the process into two drawings. The five worst clubs would share equal odds for each of the first five picks. The remaining 13 places would then be settled in a second lottery, and any of the bottom-five teams that miss out on the initial drawing could slide no lower than 10th.
Next steps
Franchise owners are expected to dissect the plans with basketball operations staff over the coming weeks and relay feedback to the league office before May’s special meeting—an unusual addition to the NBA’s annual calendar.
Commissioner Adam Silver told reporters after Wednesday’s session that the incentive structure “is clearly going to change for next season,” calling the issue one of business, basketball and league integrity. While acknowledging that “there isn’t an obvious solution,” Silver said the league is prepared to adopt “something more extreme” than past adjustments and may revisit the topic in future collective-bargaining talks, even though the current CBA runs through 2030.
Tanking reforms have been under discussion since December; earlier ideas such as limiting draft-pick protections or freezing lottery odds at a certain date were not part of this week’s presentation.
Source: ESPN
