NBA changes lottery format after Pacers lost 5th pick in trade

[ASFN Admin]

INDIANAPOLIS -- Three weeks after the Pacers had their hearts broken in the NBA Draft lottery, news broke that the league will be overhauling the lottery system.

For much of the second half of the regular season, the NBA faced calls from fans and stakeholders to address the extent of "tanking" as the league's bottom third seemed to show little interest in winning games in the season's final months with the 2026 draft class expected to be particularly strong and teams jockeying for lottery position. Commissioner Adam Silver addressed the issue with fines -- including a $100,000 fine levied at the Pacers for their personnel decisions in a Feb. 3 game against the Jazz -- and said that there would be significant rule changes made for future lotteries.

After reportedly considering several options, the NBA's Board of Governors approved a drastic rule change on Thursday according to a report from ESPN's Shams Charania. According to the report, the lottery is being expanded from 14 teams to 16, odds are being flattened and there is a "relegation zone" that penalizes teams with the league's worst records rather than rewarding them with the best lottery odds.

Breaking: The NBA's Board of Governors has passed new anti-tanking rules that include expanding the draft lottery from 14 to 16 teams, a relegation zone where the bottom 3 teams get penalized with lessened chances for the No. 1 pick, and flattened odds, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com/e1oq10p2yV

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 28, 2026

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