NBA may revise draft lottery to address tanking
NBC Sports • • sports
Key Points:
- The NBA is considering several changes to its draft lottery system to address the growing issue of tanking, which Commissioner Adam Silver described as a problem that must be solved to protect the league's integrity and business.
- Proposed changes include freezing lottery odds at certain points in the season, limiting teams from securing top picks in consecutive years, basing lottery odds on multi-season records, and flattening odds among lottery teams, though none would fully eliminate tanking incentives.
- Tanking negatively impacts fan experience and ticket values, as teams deliberately losing games can lead to diminished game quality and fewer star players appearing, which concerns owners and executives alike.
- Critics argue that the only effective solutions are to randomize the draft order annually or reverse the draft priority so that
