NBA Anti-Tanking Rules Coming
The NBA will roll out new anti-tanking measures next season to disincentivize teams from intentionally losing games to secure better draft picks, according to ESPN sources. The policy details are expected to be finalized in the coming months, with the goal of increasing competitiveness throughout the season and preserving league integrity. The measures represent a significant shift in how the NBA addresses competitive balance.
- The NBA's draft lottery system was first introduced in 1985 to discourage tanking. Prior to that, the two worst teams simply had a coin flip to determine who would get the first pick. The system has been reformed multiple times, including a weighted lottery system in 1990 and a significant flattening of the odds in 2019. - The most recent change to the lottery odds in 2019 was largely a reaction to the Philadelphia 76ers' strategy known as "The Process," where the team was openly rebuilding by intentionally losing games to secure high draft picks from 2013 to 2016. During this period, the 76ers had a record of 47-199. - Under the 2019 lottery reform, the team with the worst record saw its chances of receiving the number one pick drop from 25% to 14%. The three teams with the worst regular-season records now share the same 14% odds of winning the top pick. - Since the lottery odds were flattened in 2019, the team with the worst record has not secured the #1 overall pick. In fact, the team with the worst record has fallen to the 5th pick in the draft for three consecutive years. - The current push for new rules comes after the league fined the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 in February 2026 for violating the league's Player Participation Policy by resting healthy star players in competitive games. - The Utah Jazz were fined for sitting Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. for the entire fourth quarter of two consecutive games. The Indiana Pacers were fined for resting Pascal Siakam and two other starters in a game against the Jazz. - Proposed new anti-tanking measures include freezing lottery odds at the trade deadline, preventing teams from receiving a top-four pick in consecutive years, and extending the draft lottery to include the Play-In Tournament teams. - NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has stated that tanking is "worse this year than we've seen in recent memory" and that the league is considering "every possible remedy" to address the issue. There is also speculation that pressure from the league's official sports betting partners is a factor in the recent crackdown.
