NBA Board Approves Expanded Draft Lottery and Anti-Tanking Rules

The NBA's board of governors voted overwhelmingly Thursday to change the league's draft lottery format beginning with the 2027 NBA draft. The new format expands the lottery from 14 to 16 teams, including the 8-seed in each conference's playoff picture, and adds anti-tanking measures where the bottom three teams are dealt lesser chances for the No.

1 pick while flattening odds for teams that do not qualify for the playoffs or the play-in tournament.

The new "3-2-1 lottery" was put together over the past couple of months and signifies the number of ping-pong balls each of the final three teams will receive in the lottery. Under this format, the teams with the three worst records will each get two ping-pong balls, while the teams with the fourth through 10th worst records will each get three balls.

The three worst teams also will now have a floor of picking 12th in the draft. 9 and 10 play-in seeds in each conference will receive two lottery balls each, and the losers of the 7-8 play-in games will receive one lottery ball each.

Teams also will no longer be able to get the No. 1 pick in back-to-back years. Teams are also unable to have a top-five pick for three consecutive years. Teams also will not be able to protect picks in the 12 to 15 slots going forward. The proposal includes a sunset provision that will see this format expire after the 2029 season.

The league will also wield expanded disciplinary authority to address tanking, including the ability to reduce teams' lottery odds, modify teams' draft positions and impose significant fines on offending teams. "Since October, the league office has met with key stakeholders to discuss current competitive incentives and solicit ideas aimed at discouraging tanking," the league said in announcing the changes.

" The vote was 29-1, with only the Memphis Grizzlies voting against the measure. "I do think ultimately this is a decision that needs to be made at the ownership level," the commissioner said following a two-day NBA board of governors meeting in March.