TITLE: NBA Outlines Three Anti-Tanking Models for May Vote
SLUG: nba-unveils-three-anti-tanking-models-for-board-of-governors
CONTENT:
The NBA has introduced three separate plans aimed at discouraging teams from intentionally losing, presenting the concepts to the league’s Board of Governors on Wednesday ahead of a formal vote expected in May, according to ESPN’s Shams Charania.
Proposal 1: Expanded Lottery and Fully Flattened Odds
The first option would place all 18 non-playoff teams—seeds 7 through 15 in each conference—into the draft lottery. Odds for the top pick would be flattened across the 10 worst records, giving the 10th-worst club the same chance at No. 1 as the league’s bottom team. All 18 lottery positions would be determined by drawing, an increase from the current four.
Proposal 2: Two-Year Record and Playoff Cutoff
The second model keeps today’s four-team lottery draw but widens eligibility to every franchise that fails to reach the second round of the playoffs. Lottery odds would be calculated using each club’s records from the past two seasons, meaning a team’s performance this year and next season would both influence its 2026 draft position.
Proposal 3: Modified Current System
The third plan most closely resembles the existing format. It would flatten odds among the NBA’s five worst teams instead of the current four and expand the potential drop for the league’s last-place finisher to the 10th pick; under present rules that team can fall no lower than sixth.
Salary Cap Projection Slightly Reduced
Separately, the league informed teams earlier this week that its 2026-27 salary cap is now projected at roughly $165 million—about $1 million lower than the previous estimate—because of declining local television revenue. The figure would still mark an increase over the current season’s cap.
The Board of Governors is expected to review adjustments to each proposal before taking a final vote in May.
Source: LakersNation.com
