NBA Unveils 3-2-1 Draft Lottery Plan to Curb Tanking
nba-3-2-1-draft-lottery-anti-tanking-proposal
The NBA has circulated a new draft-lottery structure called the “3-2-1 lottery” to all 30 general managers, aiming to discourage intentional losing beginning with the 2027 draft, multiple sources told ESPN.
Commissioner Adam Silver’s office outlined the proposal during recent meetings with the board of governors, the competition committee and team executives. Owners are scheduled to cast a final vote on May 28, although minor adjustments remain possible, according to the sources.
How the 3-2-1 system would work
The plan would expand the lottery field from 14 to 16 teams and flatten the odds through a new ball-allocation method:
- Teams ranked No. 4 through No. 10 in the non-playoff standings receive three lottery balls each.
- The bottom three clubs enter a “relegation zone” with only two balls each but cannot fall below the No. 12 pick.
- Ninth- and 10th-place play-in teams get two balls each, while losers of the 7-8 play-in games receive one ball each.
Currently, lottery odds are weighted only for the four worst records, with the remaining positions set in reverse order. Under the new model, all 16 non-playoff teams would participate in the draw, and any club could slide as far as the No. 16 pick.
Additional safeguards
The proposal bars any franchise from landing the No. 1 overall selection in consecutive years and from securing three straight top-five picks. It also eliminates protection for selections in the Nos. 12-15 range.
The league would gain expanded authority to sanction tanking, including the power to further trim lottery odds or alter draft positions for offending teams.
Sunset clause and context
The 3-2-1 lottery would carry a sunset provision that expires after the 2029 draft, allowing owners to renew or replace the system. The current collective bargaining agreement runs through the 2029-30 season.
Silver declared in March that combating tanking was his “top priority,” citing the highly anticipated 2026 draft class and the existing incentives that encourage teams to chase lottery odds. “We are going to fix it. Full stop,” he said after a board of governors meeting.
Source: ESPN
