NBA Considers Expanding Draft Lottery to 18 Teams in Bid to Deter Tanking
nba-draft-lottery-reform-18-teams-proposal
The NBA is weighing a major overhaul of its draft lottery, and one proposal has emerged as the clear favorite, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic.
Key elements of the leading plan
• Lottery field: Increase from the current 14 non-playoff teams to 18.
• Odds for worst teams: The 10 clubs with the league’s poorest records would each receive an 8% chance at the No. 1 overall pick.
• Remaining odds: The final 20% would be divided among the other eight lottery participants.
The existing format gives the three teams with the worst records a 14% shot apiece at the top selection, a structure introduced in 2019 to discourage deliberate losing. League officials, however, believe tanking remained a prominent storyline this past season.
Commissioner Adam Silver underscored that concern when he told general managers earlier this year, “You should assume for next season your only incentive will be to win games,” Amick reported.
Next steps and potential concerns
Any change to the lottery requires approval from 23 of the NBA’s 30 owners. A vote is expected in the near future, though a specific date has not been announced.
Some team executives worry that further flattening the odds could allow a franchise with a near-playoff record to slide into the expanded lottery and unexpectedly land the top pick, a scenario seen in past drafts with long-shot teams.
If adopted, the adjustment would represent the league’s most significant move against tanking since the 2019 lottery reforms.
Source: Hoops Wire
