The NBA's Board of Governors has passed the proposed NBA Lottery Reform prompted by commissioner Adam Silver earlier this month, hoping to de-incentivize teams from tanking at the end of the season, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Teams in the bottom five of the league will now see a lower percentage chance to end up with the top-pick, while teams that barely missed the playoffs will have a slightly higher chance to end up with it. The odds will also change as far as ending on the top-three or top-five of the selection group — the three teams with the worst record will all have a 14 percent chance to land the No. 1 pick as well as a 40 percent chance to end up in the top three, giving the lone bottom-dweller a guarantee to net a pick in the top five of the draft.
Here is an ESPN graphic on how NBA Draft lottery odds change in 2019 pic.twitter.com/Jk8X7q0J3Z
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2017
The league needed a three-fourths majority to pass this version of the draft lottery reform. Some small market teams were hesitant to hop on board, giving how free agency has been more than ever favorable to big-market teams, making the NBA Draft the lone reliable resource to acquire talent.
The new reform includes rules affecting player rest, giving Silver discretion on fining teams for unexcused healthy scratches during nationally televised games. Silver had previously addressed concerns regarding the amount of back-to-backs and four games in five nights, which had often forced organizations to sit out their star players or key starters for proper rest. The new legislation needed only a simple majority to pass.
This new season features several less back-to-backs and eliminates the four games in five nights — a huge reason why the regular season schedule tips off mid-October instead of the last days of the month. This new schedule also included less pre-season games — ranging from four to five, instead of the six-to-seven as usual.
Follow Us
Subscribe