The NBA delivered three anti-tanking proposals to its board of governors on Wednesday in New York, ESPN reported.
All three plans reportedly feature a common twist: bringing teams that make the playoffs into the draft lottery.
The first proposal puts 18 teams in the lottery — the bottom 10 teams that miss the play-in tournament and the eight teams that qualify for it. The bottom 10 would have an equal 8% chance of moving up in the lottery, with the other 20% of the odds slit among the eight play-in teams in descending order from Nos. 11 through 18. All 18 spots would be part of the lottery.
The second proposal has 22 teams in the lottery — the same 18 as above plus the four playoff teams that lose in the opening round. The teams would be ranked according to their combined record over the prior two seasons.
This plan includes a minimum win total in each season in order to mitigate a team trying to lose as many games as possible. If the minimum were 20 wins, a team that went 14-68 would be counted as 20-62 for the lottery. If a team wins 20 games the first season and 40 the next, it would count as 30 wins for the lottery. The top four spots would be drawn as part of the lottery.
ESPN sources described the third proposal as a “five-by-five” method and involves the same 18 teams from the first proposal. Teams with the five worst records would all have the same odds for the lottery, with the odds descending from there. There would be a lottery drawing for each of the draft’s first five picks, followed by another drawing for the remaining 13 teams.
If any of the teams with the five worst records don’t get one of the top five spots, the lowest spot they could land in the second lottery would be 10th.
Commissioner Adam Silver told the owners Wednesday that something needs to change in the wake of widespread criticism this season about teams chasing top spots in a deep 2026 draft pool.
“I do think ultimately this is a decision that needs to be made at the ownership level,” Silver said. “It has business implications, has basketball implications, has integrity, integrity, implications for the league.
Modifications to each of the proposals are expected before it comes to a formal vote in May, according to ESPN.
–Field Level Media
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