What will likely be the final version of this NBA draft lottery setup took place on Sunday. With lottery reforms set to be voted on (and expected to be passed) later this month it’s all but certain last weekend was the last time we’ll see a lottery draw in which the worst three teams had the best odds to land the top pick. Perhaps fittingly, it worked as intended for the first time in a while; the Wizards won the first pick after finishing the regular season with the worst record.
Now eyes turn fully towards May 28, when the NBA Board of Governors will vote on the “3-2-1” proposal that would be implemented starting next year and running through 2029. That setup will give the worst three teams decreased odds to win the lottery in order to disincentivize being as bad as possible. Instead the teams who finish 4-10 at the bottom of the standings will have better odds to earn the No. 1 pick. It’s a dramatic change that comes with great risk of punishing the wrong teams, but one that fits the NBA’s vision of avoiding the blatant tanking we saw this year at all costs.
