Rewarding athletic weakness without encouraging sabotage: this is the conundrum that the NBA has finally solved.

Starting in 2027, the famous Draft lottery – which distributes the first sixteen recruitment picks – will be revamped. The objective is clear: to eradicate "tanking," the questionable strategy that leads some franchises to intentionally string together losses to secure the first pick in the next rookie class.

The new lottery scale

From now on, plummeting in the standings will no longer be the winning ticket to hitting the jackpot. The league is completely reshuffling the odds:

1. Places 11 to 14 (excluding playoffs): They each receive 3 lottery balls.
2. The 3 worst records in the league: They lose a historic bonus and will also only have 3 balls.
3. 9th and 10th places: They will be allocated 2 balls (almost as many as the worst in the league).
4. The losers of the play-in (7th-8th): They will have to be content with only one ball.

Anti-recidivism measures and increased sanctions

The NBA doesn't just level the playing field; it puts in place real safeguards to prevent teams from stagnating at the bottom of the standings:

1. Ban on double draft picks: A franchise will no longer be able to obtain the number 1 pick two years in a row.
2. Top-5 ceiling: It is impossible to be in the top five picks for more than two consecutive seasons.

Meanwhile, the league commissioner will have a strengthened arsenal of enforcement powers. Financial penalties, downgrading of the order of picks, or unilateral modification of probabilities: Adam Silver now has free rein to punish bad faith.

A widespread feeling of being fed up

It must be said that the 2025-2026 season pushed the boundaries of cynicism, with able-bodied stars left in the stands and farcical games. The NBA commissioner himself admitted last February that the current system was running out of steam. This radical change of direction is also accompanied by a re-evaluation clause scheduled for 2029.

Perfect timing: The Washington Wizards, last in the standings this season, landed the number 1 pick on May 10th for the June Draft. Perfect timing to pull off one last heist before the final whistle blows.