Changes to the NBA draft lottery are expected as the league aggressively attempts to find deterrents to teams losing intentionally in a bid to manipulate the league lottery.
ESPN reported the Board of Governors, which met Friday, has multiple options on the table.
The end goal is not to punish rebuilding teams who use their best lineup and are competing with less talented or experienced players, but to avoid instances where teams are losing because they sit healthy players and rarely blend their best talent to avoid winning and lowering chances of getting a better pick in the lottery.
According to the report, plans could block a team from drafting in the top four overall in consecutive years and limit protections on traded picks.
For example, a team making a hypothetical offer for Bucks All-Star Giannis Antetokounmpo might insist on parting with “lottery protected” draft picks or “top four” protected. In that case, the team acquiring Antetokounmpo could keep its traded pick — and give the team its selection the following year — if the lottery is fortuitous and brings a better-than-expected selection.
An example presented by the league office in last week’s meeting per ESPN was the Philadelphia 76ers going 8-29 and retaining a first-round pick owed to the Oklahoma City Thunder because it was “top six” protected. The 76ers landed the No. 3 overall pick, drafted Baylor’s VJ Edgecombe, and he’s producing 16.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game this season.
Other tanking-deterrent options from the NBA to strengthen the countercurrent against losing games included locking the position of lottery teams — or the teams with the 14 worst records — on March 1.
None of the openly shared ideas have been adopted or put to a vote at this juncture.
