NBA Weighs 18-Team Lottery as Leading Plan to Curb Tanking
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The NBA’s preferred proposal to discourage late-season tanking would broaden the draft lottery from 14 to 18 clubs, league and team sources told The Athletic’s Sam Amick.
Known internally as “Option No. 1,” the plan gives each of the league’s 10 worst records an 8 percent shot at the No. 1 overall pick. The remaining eight lottery spots would share the leftover 20 percent equally. The current system awards the three poorest records a 14 percent chance apiece, with odds declining for every slot that follows.
Several general managers cautioned Amick that the expanded format could spark controversy if one of the two lottery clubs that still reach the postseason were to land the top pick. Recent leaps by Atlanta and Dallas in consecutive lotteries illustrate the mathematical possibility, even if the odds are slim.
Key meetings ahead
All 30 general managers will gather Tuesday on Zoom, where draft reform is expected to headline the agenda. Commissioner Adam Silver is soliciting broad feedback, with the league’s competition committee and representatives from the National Basketball Players Association participating.
The Board of Governors is scheduled to vote in May; at least 23 teams must approve any change. Silver said in February he hopes to implement a new structure before next season.
Coaching ripple effects in Orlando and beyond
Orlando’s first-round performance has complicated what many assumed would be an offseason coaching change. Head coach Jamahl Mosley, long rumored to be on the hot seat, has guided the Magic to a 2-1 lead over top-seeded Detroit. If Orlando reaches the second round, club officials may reconsider replacing him, Amick reported. Former Bulls coach Billy Donovan and Bucks associate head coach Darvin Ham had been floated as possible successors, while Mosley was mentioned for the Pelicans’ job.
Elsewhere, Amick notes Tiago Splitter’s unconventional role in Portland, a Finals-or-bust edict for New York’s Mike Brown, and heightened pressure on Philadelphia’s Nick Nurse and Cleveland’s Kenny Atkinson after Sunday losses.
Depth tested in Los Angeles and Minnesota
The Lakers entered their series without injured stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, while the Timberwolves lost Donte DiVincenzo and Anthony Edwards to significant injuries Saturday. Amick credited Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka for fortifying the roster by signing Marcus Smart following his buyout from Washington and acquiring Luke Kennard from Atlanta in February. He likewise praised Timberwolves president Tim Connelly for landing guard Ayo Dosunmu from Chicago at the trade deadline for two seldom-used players and a collection of second-round picks.
The upcoming GM meeting will determine whether Option No. 1 advances to a formal vote, keeping the spotlight on potential lottery reform over the next month.
Source: Hoops Rumors
