The NBA has had a problem with tanking in recent years. But commissioner Adam Silver reportedly is looking to change that.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday, citing league sources, that the league is looking into making changes to the NBA draft lottery in order to stop tanking.
“Commissioner Adam Silver is a strong advocate to de-incentivize tanking by implementing lower odds on the NBA’s worst teams to gain the top picks in the draft, league sources said,” Wojnarowski wrote.
The changes, which could be voted into the league bylaws prior to the 2017-18 campaign, reportedly would give better teams a chance to jump into the lottery.
Wojnarowski reported that the changes, should they be accepted, wouldn’t take place until the 2018-19 season.
Currently, the team with the worst record can drop to no lower than the fourth pick in the draft.
But the proposed changes would alter how far each team can drop in the lottery.
“Presently, the NBA team with the worst record can drop no lower than No. 4 from No. 1, but the NBA’s currently proposed legislation could allow that team to drop from first to fifth in the lottery, league sources said,” Wojnarowski wrote. “This would include a domino effect through the lottery, where the second-worst record presently dropping no lower than fourth, could fall to sixth. Then, the No. 3 team could drop as far as seven, and on down, league sources said.”
But that won’t be the only change, as the league reportedly is looking at flattening the odds of getting the No. 1 overall selection by giving the three worst teams the same odds of securing the pick. The current rule gives the team with the worst record a 25 percent chance of landing the top pick, where as the team with the fifth worst record only has an 8.8 percent chance of moving up to No. 1. The new rules would close that gap significantly, sources told Wojnarowski.
Wojnarowski also reported that the NBA Competition Committee is debating adding a provision that no team can pick in the top three of the NBA Draft in consecutive years. That amendment reportedly is not currently attached to the proposal but is expected to be considered, according to Wojnarowski.
This certainly would benefit the league, as it would incentivize teams who are out of the playoff picture to play healthy starters until the end of the season.
Thumbnail photo via Brad Penner/USA TODAY Sports Images
