The NBA’s tanking problem has reached a boiling point, and Commissioner Adam Silver is no longer interested in incremental fixes. Following a two-day Board of Governors meeting in New York on Wednesday, Silver made it clear that sweeping changes to the league’s draft system are coming.
They are said to be in place before the 2026 NBA Draft.
Adam Silver Promises Overhaul of NBA Draft Lottery System
Commissioner Adam Silver was unambiguous in his message to the league. “We are going to fix it. Full stop,” he told reporters at his Board of Governors press conference. He announced that a special board meeting will be held in May to vote on proposed changes, ensuring the new rules are locked in ahead of the draft and the offseason.
The issue has intensified this season due to what Silver described as misaligned incentives, with the historically deep 2026 draft class prompting roughly ten teams to prioritize draft positioning over winning games.
Silver acknowledged that the league has attempted to address tanking multiple times before, but made clear this time would be different. “My sense is when I say fix (this) now, yes, we need to do something more extreme than we did with those incremental changes the last four times,” he said.
Among the proposals discussed at the meeting, sources indicated that multiple lottery scenarios were presented, with a leading option being a flattened-odds system that would give every non-playoff team an equal chance at the No. 1 overall pick.
DON’T MISS: Skip Bayless Argues Luka Dončić Is a ‘Poor 3-Point Shooter,’ Calls Out Lakers Star’s Efficiency
Another proposal would extend lottery eligibility to play-in teams, creating an entirely new layer of incentive to compete. No votes were taken during the BOG sessions, but Silver said ownership was unanimous in its support for resolving the issue before the new season.
Silver also addressed one of the central difficulties in enforcing any anti-tanking policy, i.e., the near-impossibility of distinguishing genuine rebuilds from deliberate losing. “The problem we’re having these days is it’s become almost impossible to distinguish between the tank and rebuild,” he said.
The commissioner also weighed in on the league’s 65-game participation threshold, which has drawn criticism following Cade Cunningham’s collapsed lung injury.
Cunningham is unlikely to reach the 65-game mark needed to qualify for postseason awards, prompting pushback from the NBPA, player agents, and media members.
DON’T MISS: What Happened to Cade Cunningham? A Look at Pistons Star’s Injury and Why He’s Out vs. Hawks
Silver stood by the rule, arguing that it is still serving its intended purpose of curbing load management. “We always knew when there’s a line you draw that somebody’s going to fall on the other side of that line and it may feel unfair in that particular instance,” he said, adding that he believes the policy is working overall.
Additional reforms could be explored down the road as the current collective bargaining agreement approaches expiration toward the end of the decade.
