The NBA is confronting a growing concern: teams intentionally losing games – a practice known as “tanking” – to improve their odds in the upcoming draft. With the 2026 draft class already generating significant buzz as potentially historic, the incentive to bottom out has become particularly strong. Now, facing mounting pressure to address the issue, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s Board of Governors are considering a series of radical changes to the draft lottery system, aiming to disincentivize teams from prioritizing draft position over competitive play.
The issue isn’t new, but the perceived escalation this season has prompted a swift response. The league wants to strike a balance between allowing rebuilding teams a fair chance at acquiring top talent and preserving the integrity of the competition. As Silver stated, according to reports, “This is something we take very seriously, and we will fix it.” The urgency is reflected in the scheduling of a special meeting of the Board of Governors in May, an unusual step indicating the league’s commitment to finding a solution.
Three Proposals to Reshape the Draft Lottery
During a recent meeting, the NBA presented three distinct proposals, each designed to inject more uncertainty into the draft order and lessen the reward for finishing with a poor record. The most significant element of all three concepts is the potential inclusion of playoff teams in the lottery process, a departure from the current system that focuses solely on the league’s bottom feeders.
The first proposal, as reported by Shams Charania of ESPN, would expand the lottery to include 18 teams – those seeded 7th through 15th in each conference.
The NBA presented three comprehensive anti-tanking concepts to its Board of Governors on Wednesday, with modifications expected to each before a formal vote in May, per ESPN sources.
1. 18 teams in draft lottery (seeds 7-15 in each conference) – flattened odds, with bottom 10…
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 27, 2026
This would include eight teams that qualified for the play-in tournament, acknowledging their competitive performance while still giving them a chance at a top pick. The 11th through 15th placed teams would have a slightly increased chance of winning the lottery – 8% each – while the remaining 20% of the odds would be distributed among the eight play-in teams.
A second, more expansive proposal would involve 22 teams in the lottery, adding the four teams eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This system would rank teams based on their combined record over the previous two seasons, similar to the WNBA’s approach, and would as well incorporate a minimum win floor to prevent extreme tanking. This two-year lookback aims to discourage a single-season dive in performance.
The third proposal takes a more streamlined approach, employing a “five by five” method. The five teams with the worst records would have equal odds in a lottery for the first five picks, followed by a second lottery among the remaining 13 teams for picks six through 14. This system simplifies the odds distribution while still prioritizing the teams with the poorest records.
Distinguishing Rebuilding from Tanking: A Key Challenge
Commissioner Silver has emphasized the difficulty in differentiating between legitimate team rebuilding efforts and deliberate tanking.
“There is an aspect of team building that we call a true rebuild, a rebuild with integrity,” he explained. “The problem we have is that it has become almost impossible to distinguish between tanking and rebuilding.”
This nuance is central to the league’s deliberations. Any new system must avoid penalizing teams genuinely committed to long-term development through strategic roster moves and player development.
The current competitive landscape adds another layer to the complexity. With around 20 teams still realistically contending for playoff spots late in the season, the contrast between those striving for success and those seemingly prioritizing draft position is stark. This disparity has fueled the debate and accelerated the push for reform.
What’s Next for the NBA Draft?
The proposals presented represent a significant shift in thinking regarding the draft lottery. The inclusion of playoff teams, even those eliminated in the first round, is a particularly noteworthy concept, challenging the traditional notion that the lottery should exclusively benefit the league’s worst performers. The Board of Governors will convene again in May to further discuss these proposals and potentially vote on a new system. The NBA’s official website will be the primary source for updates on the decision-making process.
The outcome of these deliberations will have a profound impact on the future of the NBA, influencing team strategies, player movement, and the overall competitive balance of the league. The goal is to create a system that rewards genuine competition and discourages the cynical practice of intentionally losing games. The league hopes to finalize changes before the 2026 draft, ensuring a fairer and more transparent process for all involved.
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