Sources: NBA eyes new anti-tanking proposal for draft lottery

Key Points:

• The NBA has proposed a new "3-2-1 lottery" draft reform to combat tanking, expanding the lottery to 16 teams with flattened odds and a relegation zone penalizing the bottom three teams with fewer chances for the No. 1 pick, starting with the 2027 draft.
• Under the proposal, teams outside the playoffs but not in the bottom three would receive three lottery balls, bottom-three teams would get two balls with a minimum pick of 12th, and all 16 teams would participate in the lottery drawing.
• Restrictions include no team winning the top pick in consecutive years or three consecutive top-five picks, and protection of picks in the 12th to 15th slots would be eliminated.
• The reform features a sunset clause expiring after the 2029 draft, allowing the board of governors to continue or adjust the system, alongside expanded disciplinary powers to regulate tanking and modify lottery odds or draft positions.
• NBA Commissioner Adam Silver emphasized fixing tanking as a top priority, highlighting the need for fundamental draft system changes to maintain league integrity and discourage losing for draft advantage.