In the wake of a gambling scandal that has rocked the league, the NBA is looking at draft reform as a way to prevent teams from tanking. Among the things the league is considering are changing pick protections in trades, to either being top-four or top-14 protected, instead of mid-lottery protections. Teams have regularly sought to lose games to ensure they keep a pick that falls somewhere between a top-four and lottery-protected pick.
The NBA has also considered barring teams from drafting in the top four two years in a row. This is considered a way to keep teams from long-term tanking, while encouraging them to play to win games the year after having a top-four selection.
Also considered was locking lottery positions as of March 1. The idea here is to prevent teams from sitting key players over the last month-and-a-half of the season.
The NBA has rolled out changes to injury reporting in the last week. In addition, the league is working with gaming partners to evaluate what prop bets are appropriate to offer.
Over the last several years, the NBA has fined teams for outright tanking by sitting star players. The league and the NBPA have also agreed to game limits for postseason awards, as well as restrictions around when teams can rest star players in games.
Any draft reform would have to be approved by a vote of the NBA’s board of governors. The NBA last reformed the Draft Lottery in 2019, when they flattened the lottery odds for the worst three-teams, as well as making the fourth pick part of the lottery process.