NBA Board Approves Draft Reform, Memphis Votes Against

NBA approves anti-tanking reform to change draft lottery odds 

The NBA has approved new draft lottery rules to discourage tanking, cutting odds for the worst teams and expanding the lottery to 16 teams from 2027.

Under the '3-2-1' lottery, the three worst teams get lower odds than teams above them. The NBA says the change removes incentives to lose on purpose...

The NBA has approved changes to its draft system aimed at cracking down on tanking. On Thursday, teams voted for new rules designed to stop clubs from intentionally losing games to secure higher picks in the next draft.

The original system gave the worst-performing teams the best shot at top draft talent to help keep the league competitive and balanced. But in practice, it’s fueled a wave of tanking, with the issue becoming especially common in recent years.

Several struggling teams have sat their top players even when they were healthy enough to play. While some were fined for “roster management,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said the financial penalties weren’t enough and pushed for tougher measures.

Under the revised setup, the three worst teams will now have slightly lower odds of landing a top pick in the draft lottery compared to the teams that finish just above them.

Before this change, the three worst teams had the best odds of landing the No. 1 pick.

The lottery will also expand, with 16 of the NBA’s 30 teams now included instead of 14.

The reforms are “designed to eliminate incentives for teams to prioritize their position in the Draft over winning games,” and “flattens” lottery odds among the teams, said an NBA statement.

  

Set to start with the 2027 draft, the system is called the “3-2-1” lottery, named for the number of lottery balls each team receives.

Seven of the lower-ranked teams will each get three lottery balls, giving them about an 8% shot at the No. 1 pick.

The three worst teams, however, will only receive two balls each, dropping their odds to 5.4%. This penalty is known as being “draft relegated.”

 

NBA PASSES NEW ANTI-TANKING RULES 🚨

"3-2-1 Draft Lottery system"

- Teams 4-10 = 3 lottery balls
- Bottom 3 teams = 2 lottery balls
- Play-In teams = 1-2 lottery balls

- 16 teams in lottery with flattened odds, previously 14
- Teams cannot pick No. 1 in consecutive years
- No… pic.twitter.com/wsynDox1ZK

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) May 28, 2026

Six teams that made it into the play-in tournament by finishing 7th to 10th in their conference will get either one or two balls.

Being “draft relegated” will sting for the league’s worst teams, but there’s a safety net. They’re guaranteed not to fall past 12th overall in the draft.

The new rules passed with backing from 29 of the league’s 30 teams at the board of governors meeting, with the Memphis Grizzlies the only team voting no.

This year’s NBA Draft kicks off on June 23. The Washington Wizards, who finished with the league’s worst record, won the lottery and hold the No. 1 pick.