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NBA proposes reform to curb ‘tanking’ and strengthen competitiveness
WASHINGTON. – The NBA presented the owners of its 30 franchises with a new plan aimed at disincentivizing so-called “tanking,” a practice by which some teams deliberately lose to improve their draft options.
The proposal, revealed by media outlets such as The Athletic and ESPN, contemplates a series of adjustments to the lottery system with the aim of balancing the probabilities among the teams with the lowest performance and reducing the benefits of finishing with the worst records in the league.
Among the main changes is the expansion from 14 to 16 teams with options in the draft lottery, including the losers of the “play-in” matchups between the seventh and eighth place teams in each conference. These teams would have only a 2.7% chance of obtaining a high selection.
Also, the three teams with the most losses, along with those classified in ninth and tenth place participating in the “play-in”, would have a 5.4% chance, while the rest of the teams at the bottom would have 8.1% each.
The new system, which would come into effect from 2027 if approved, would also prevent a franchise from obtaining the first draft pick in consecutive years, or from being within the top five positions for three consecutive seasons.
The league commissioner, Adam Silver, has been emphatic about the need to change the competitive culture. “We should have a system where you hate to lose. It shouldn’t be a badge of honor. Losing should be uncomfortable,” he recently expressed.
“Tanking” has been a constant concern for the NBA, as it affects competitive integrity and the sporting spectacle, incentivizing some franchises to prioritize the future over immediate performance.
With this reform, the league seeks to make competing at the highest level the only viable strategy again, eliminating incentives to intentionally lose and strengthening the credibility of the championship.
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