The NBA has officially approved one of the biggest draft system changes in recent league history. According to ESPN, the NBA's Board of Governors passed new anti tanking lottery reforms that will begin with the 2027 NBA Draft. The updated system expands the lottery from 14 teams to 16 while also reducing the advantages for teams with the league's worst records, a move designed to discourage intentional losing across the league.

The proposal, called the “3 2 1 lottery,” changes how teams receive lottery balls and introduces what many are calling a relegation style penalty zone. Under the new rules, the bottom three teams will actually receive worse odds for the No. 1 overall pick than several mid tier non playoff teams, completely changing how franchises may approach rebuilding in future seasons.

NBA Passes New Anti Tanking Lottery Rules With Major Changes To Draft Odds System

According to ESPN, the NBA spent several weeks discussing the proposal with team governors, competition committee members, and all 30 general managers before the final approval vote. Commissioner Adam Silver reportedly made fixing tanking one of the league's biggest priorities after concerns grew around teams intentionally losing games for better draft positions.

Under the new system, teams ranked fourth through tenth among non playoff clubs will receive three lottery balls each. Meanwhile, the bottom three teams in the standings will only receive two lottery balls despite having the worst records. The new structure also guarantees those bottom three teams cannot fall lower than the No. 12 pick.

The reform goes even further by stopping teams from winning the No. 1 overall pick in consecutive years. Franchises also cannot earn three straight top five picks under the updated rules. The NBA believes these changes will encourage more competitive basketball late in the season instead of rewarding teams that continue losing games intentionally.

Adam Silver Says NBA Will Fix Tanking Problem As Fans Debate New Draft System

For months, league officials openly discussed how serious the tanking issue had become around the NBA. The loaded 2026 draft class reportedly increased concerns because several struggling franchises were accused by fans of prioritizing lottery positioning instead of trying to stay competitive during the regular season.

Adam Silver addressed the situation directly earlier this year while discussing possible league reforms. He said, “I do think ultimately this is a decision that needs to be made at the ownership level.” Silver also added, “It has business implications, has basketball implications, has integrity implications for the league.”

Fan reactions online have already been mixed following the announcement. Some supporters praised the NBA for finally discouraging tanking, while others worried the system could hurt rebuilding teams that genuinely struggle competitively. Franchises like the Brooklyn Nets were frequently mentioned by fans discussing possible long term effects of the new draft structure.

Still, the NBA clearly believes the current system needed serious changes before tanking damaged the league's overall competitiveness even further. Whether fans agree or disagree now, the new draft lottery rules could completely reshape rebuilding strategies across the NBA once the updated format officially begins in 2027.