The NBA has spent a lot of time lately getting serious about tanking. Or at least trying something new.
And a “heavy front-runner” has emerged in talks on draft lottery reform, according to Sam Amick of The Athletic. If it sticks, it would mark a significant shift in how teams approach losing. We think. But who really knows?
Anyway, the proposal would expand the lottery from 14 teams to 18 and give the bottom 10 teams equal odds at the No. 1 pick at 8 percent each — then divide the remaining 20 percent among the other eight lottery teams.
In other words, less reward for being truly bad. More randomness across the board.
Today, the NBA gives the three worst teams a 14 percent shot at the top pick. That system was designed to curb tanking. It has not exactly done that.
Commissioner Adam Silver has made it clear the league is not thrilled with how things played out this season. Tanking became a storyline again. Not quietly, either.
“You should assume for next season your only incentive will be to win games,” Silver told general managers earlier this year, per Amick.
That’s the goal here. Whether it works is another story.
There is some concern around the league that flattening the odds even further could create new problems. Imagine a playoff team sneaking into the lottery mix and jumping to No. 1. It sounds unlikely until you remember recent history.
Teams with long odds have cashed in before. More than once.
Nothing is official yet, of course. Any change would need approval from 23 of 30 owners. A vote is expected soon.
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