A New Strategy to Combat Tanking

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has been vocal about his commitment to eliminating "tanking"—the practice of teams intentionally losing to secure better draft positioning. This week, his efforts reached a significant milestone as NBA owners officially voted to adopt a revised draft lottery format.

According to reports, the new regulations will be implemented beginning with the 2027 NBA Draft and are scheduled to remain in effect through at least 2029. The initiative, often referred to as the "3-2-1" format, represents a collaborative effort between the league office, the competition committee, and team general managers to discourage non-competitive behavior.


Understanding the '3-2-1' Lottery Format

The core objective of this change is to broaden the pool of teams with a chance at the top pick while reducing the statistical dominance of the league's worst-performing franchises. Under the new rules, all 16 non-playoff teams will have an opportunity to secure the No. 1 overall pick. The distribution of lottery balls will function as follows:

  • Bottom Three Teams: The three teams with the worst records will receive two lottery balls, but they are restricted from picking higher than the 12th overall spot.
  • Middle Tier: The seven teams that fail to reach the playoffs or the play-in tournament will be granted three lottery balls.
  • Play-in Participants (Seeds 9-10): The four teams in these spots will receive two lottery balls.
  • Play-in Losers (Seeds 7-8): The two teams that lose in the initial play-in round will be allocated one lottery ball.

Additional Restrictions and League Oversight

Beyond the lottery odds, the league is introducing further safeguards to prevent repetitive poor performance. Key provisions include:

  • Teams are prohibited from winning the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back years.
  • No team will be permitted to secure a top-5 pick in three consecutive seasons.
  • Restrictions on "protecting" draft picks in the 12 to 15 range.

The league is also expected to increase its disciplinary capabilities, with the power to reduce lottery odds or adjust draft positions for teams found to be actively tanking. As Commissioner Silver stated following a March meeting: «We are going to fix it. Full stop.»

The current agreement is set to expire after the 2029 draft, at which point the Board of Governors will evaluate the efficacy of the system and decide whether to maintain the policy or explore further adjustments.