Adam Silver confirmed the NBA’s proposed draft lottery reform is being approached as a multi-year experiment, framing it as part of the league’s response to growing concerns about tanking and rebuilding incentives.
Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Wednesday, Silver said the league has been troubled by what he described as an “enormous amount of rebuilding” during the 2025-26 season, particularly with teams chasing improved lottery positioning in what is widely viewed as a strong draft class.
Silver explained that the NBA’s Board of Governors was set to discuss a proposal on Thursday, May 28, aimed at changing how lottery odds are determined. He indicated the reform would effectively function as a three-year test, giving the league time to evaluate whether a new structure better discourages losing as a strategy.
“You know, one thing just to hit it directly that has kept me up at night is the enormous amount of rebuilding [and] tanking that we saw in the league this year,” Silver said. “There is a perceived very deep draft class this year, so it was particularly problematic.”
The commissioner emphasized that tanking is not a new issue for the NBA. He referenced earlier eras when the league used a coin flip to determine the No. 1 pick before adopting lottery systems in the 1980s and making several adjustments over time.
Silver also pointed to what he viewed as a disconnect between the quality of postseason competition and parts of the regular season. While the playoffs have delivered competitive series — including the Western Conference finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs, with Oklahoma City leading 3-2 entering Game 6, and the New York Knicks sweeping the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals — Silver said some regular-season incentives encouraged teams not to “put their best foot forward.”
The proposed reform, often referred to as a “3-2-1” lottery model, would require approval from 23 of the league’s 30 teams to move forward. If approved, it could reshape both the mechanics of the draft lottery and how fans experience the event.
The NBA is expected to seriously consider bringing the draft lottery drawing back to live television if the proposal passes. That would mark the first live televised lottery drawing since 1989.
The new system would move away from the current format that uses 14 Ping Pong balls and 1,001 possible number combinations. Instead, the proposed process would include 37 Ping Pong balls displaying team logos across the 16 lottery participants, creating a simplified and more viewer-friendly presentation.
