The NBA is contemplating significant alterations to its draft lottery system due to concerns about teams purposefully losing games to enhance their chances of securing top picks, a practice known as “tanking.” Three draft lottery reform proposals were presented to the NBA’s Board of Governors, aiming to expand the number of eligible teams and flatten the odds to reduce the advantage of finishing at the bottom of the standings. The league is committed to addressing the issue of “tanking” to maintain competitive integrity and fan trust.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver stated the league’s determination to address the problem, emphasizing the challenge of distinguishing between deliberate losing and legitimate rebuilding efforts. The urgency has escalated as the 2026 draft class is projected to be exceptionally strong, providing struggling teams with a heightened incentive to finish with the worst record possible. The current system assigns higher odds in the draft lottery to teams with poorer records to aid weaker franchises in rebuilding, but critics argue that it promotes non-competitive play.
Proposals to revamp the draft lottery system include expanding the lottery to encompass 18 teams, with equal odds for the bottom 10 teams and shared chances for Play-In Tournament qualifiers. Another proposal suggests a 22-team lottery involving teams eliminated in the first round of playoffs, ranking teams based on combined win totals over two seasons. A third concept, the “five-by-five” double lottery, aims to discourage extreme losing while protecting weaker teams from significant draft declines.
NBA executives are striving to strike a balance between deterring intentional losing and supporting legitimate rebuilding efforts, especially for small-market teams. The complexity of the proposed changes raises concerns about fan comprehension and potential unintended consequences. Despite efforts to address the issue, some observers believe that no system can entirely eradicate “tanking” due to the significant impact of elite players in basketball drafts.
