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mar 28 2026The NBA is studying new formulas to curb tanking, a practice where teams intentionally lose games to improve their draft prospects. Commissioner Adam Silver presented three proposals to the Board of Governors aimed at modifying the current lottery system and reducing incentives for teams to prioritize losses during the season.
According to information reported by ESPN, these measures were presented during Wednesday's Board of Governors meeting. Although not yet approved, the anti-tanking proposals will be put to a vote in May in an effort to strengthen competitiveness and prevent sports strategies aimed at accumulating losses.
Tanking is tied to how the NBA Draft functions. Currently, the 14 teams that miss the playoffs participate in a lottery that determines the draft order for the top young talents from the NCAA and other leagues. This system seeks to balance competition by giving teams with the worst records higher odds of obtaining the first pick. However, over the years, some rebuilding projects have exploited this mechanism by deliberately reducing their competitiveness.
Among the proposals presented by Adam Silver, the expansion of the number of teams participating in the lottery stands out. In one scenario, 18 franchises would enter the drawing: the ten teams that miss the Play-in and the eight teams with the next-worst records. In that model, the ten worst teams would have an 8% probability of landing the number one pick in the Draft, while the rest would share the remaining percentage.
A second option proposes that 22 teams be part of the lottery, including all those that fail to reach the conference semifinals. In this case, the odds of obtaining the first pick would depend on the average of wins accumulated over the last two seasons, introducing a medium-term performance factor.
The third proposal introduces a formula called "five by five," in which the five worst teams would have priority for the Top 5 of the Draft. If any of them fails to land in the top five after the lottery, they would automatically be placed between positions six and ten to avoid overly steep drops.
The discussion about tanking in the NBA has intensified in recent years, especially in seasons with generational prospects in the Draft. With these proposals, the league seeks to maintain competitive balance and ensure that the primary incentive for all franchises remains competing to win.
