NBA's new lottery system strips worst teams of top draft odds, but may reward calculated mediocrity
The NBA has approved a new lottery system aimed at reducing tanking among teams. The 3-2-1 structure decreases the odds for the three worst teams while improving chances for those with slightly better records. This change has sparked debate on whether it will effectively address the issue of teams intentionally losing games for better draft picks.
- ▪The NBA Board of Governors voted 29-1 to implement the new lottery system.
- ▪The new format expands the lottery field to 16 teams and reduces the odds for the bottom three teams.
- ▪Teams finishing with the fourth- to tenth-worst records will now have improved chances at the top overall pick.
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OutKick-Sports NBA's new lottery system strips worst teams of top draft odds, but may reward calculated mediocrity Memphis Grizzlies cast the only dissenting vote against Adam Silver's new 3-2-1 lottery structure By Alejandro Avila OutKick Published May 28, 2026 4:55pm EDT Facebook Twitter Threads Flipboard Comments Print Email Add Fox News on Google close Video SGA & The OKC Thunder AREN'T FLOPPING? Reggie Miller Sounds Ridiculous | Don't @ Me w/ Dan Dakich NBA legend Reggie Miller defends OKC Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander against "flopper" accusations, claiming the fan backlash is totally overblown by podcasters NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! On Thursday, the NBA Board of Governors approved a plan designed to dramatically reshape the draft lottery in hopes of…
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