NBA Governors Set May 28 Vote on Draft Lottery Overhaul, Anti-Tanking Rules
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The NBA’s Board of Governors will convene on May 28 to decide whether to reshape the draft lottery and adopt tougher anti-tanking penalties, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Commissioner Adam Silver pledged earlier this offseason to curb deliberate losing. During the board’s March meeting, league officials presented three lottery reform options. All would expand the lottery to at least 18 teams and reduce the likelihood that the worst records secure the No. 1 overall pick.
Charania reported that the proposal drawing the most support would:
- Include 18 teams in the lottery.
- Give the 10 worst clubs identical 8% odds of landing the top selection.
- Distribute the remaining 20% among the eight play-in participants.
- Conduct lottery drawings for each of the first 18 slots.
If approved, the model may still be tweaked before implementation and would not take effect before the 2027 draft.
The league is also seeking authority to levy stiffer penalties against teams that manipulate lineups or employ other tanking strategies. The National Basketball Players Association has suggested a Premier League-style merit payment system that would allocate a larger share of national TV revenue to winning teams, but that idea has not gained traction with owners.
Discussions continued this week during a Tuesday night call with general managers, and league sources expect talks to remain active ahead of the May 28 vote.
Source: Hoops Rumors
