The NBA's Attempt To Fix Tanking Could Create An Even Bigger Problem

BusinessSportsMoneyThe NBA's Attempt To Fix Tanking Could Create An Even Bigger ProblemByBryan Toporek,Senior Contributor.Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. Bryan Toporek covers the NBA for Forbes Sports.Follow AuthorApr 29, 2026, 11:21am EDTApr 29, 2026, 11:22am EDT--:-- / --:--This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.This voice experience is generated by AI. Learn more.CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - MAY 12: Players, team members and other participants gather to attend the NBA Draft Lottery in Chicago, Illinois, United States on May 12, 2025. (Photo by Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu via Getty Images)Anadolu via Getty ImagesThe NBA has been on the warpath over the past few months to fix the scourge of tanking. On Tuesday, details of its proposed solution trickled out.As ESPN's Shams Charania first reported, the NBA is proposing a complete overhaul of its draft lottery. It would expand the lottery from 14 teams to 16 teams, decrease each team's chances of winning the No. 1 overall pick and further penalize the teams with the three worst records in the league.The proposed "3-2-1 lottery" would assign three lottery balls to the teams with the fourth- through 10th-worst records, two lottery balls to the teams with the three worst records and the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds in each conference, and one lottery ball to the team that loses the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game in the play-in tournament. Unlike the current system, which draws only the first four picks before sorting the rest of the lottery in reverse order of standings, all 16 picks would be drawn in the new lottery. The teams with the three worst records could fall no lower than No. 12, while the other 13 teams could all fall as low as No. 16.Additionally, no team will be allowed to win the No. 1 overall pick in back-to-back years. Teams also won't be allowed to win three straight top-five picks. If approved, this new lottery format should do what it set out to do. Team...