NBA revamps draft lottery to address tanking

Key Points:

• The NBA's board of governors approved a new draft lottery system starting in 2027 to discourage teams from deliberately losing games, expanding the lottery from 14 to 16 teams and changing the distribution of lottery balls.
• Under the new system, the three worst teams each get two lottery balls, while teams ranked fourth through tenth worst get three balls, removing the incentive to be among the three worst teams but creating a new incentive to avoid being the 11th worst.
• The reform also prohibits teams from having the top draft pick in consecutive years or being in the top five for three straight years, with the measure passing 29-1, the Memphis Grizzlies dissenting due to their vested interest in a draft pick.
• While the new system improves on the previous one by reducing incentives to tank, the article suggests that the best solution would be to give all non-playoff teams equal chances at top picks to eliminate tanking incentives entirely.
• The NFL currently faces similar tanking temptations but has yet to address the issue publicly, despite multiple instances of late-season losing to improve draft position.