NBA tries fixing tank jobs with confusing ‘3-2-1’ lottery scheme nobody asked for
Adam Silver has finally decided to do something about the tanker epidemic he ignored for a decade.
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The NBA is reportedly moving toward a “3-2-1 Lottery” system as complicated as the government stimulus package.
French basketball player Victor Wembanyama shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA Draft at Barclays Center in New York City on June 22, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP)
Silver is effectively trying to legalize the effort because its previous incentives rewarded teams that set the dumpster on fire.
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The proposal expands the lottery from 14 to 16 teams and creates a de facto relegation zone for the worst three teams in the league.
In a classic Silver move, those left at the bottom are actually punished. They get fewer lottery balls than teams that are below average.
Dylan Harper shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted second overall by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft on June 25, 2025 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The logic here is that this is the pinnacle of the modern NBA, and the league wants to make it more rewarding to be slightly below average rather than truly awful.
While the teams in the middle ranks of the lottery rankings receive the most favorable odds, the chances of the worst teams to be in the top ranks decrease.
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So the message is simple. Stop trying to be terrible and aim for mediocrity instead.
Silver is essentially turning the draft lottery into a system where the biggest losers don’t get the biggest prizes.
The worst teams will also have a floor, which roughly means they won’t get past the 12th pick. Even this safety net shows how carefully the league tries to balance discouraging tanking without completely burying bad teams.
The proposal also includes a ban on winning the top pick in consecutive years, preventing any team from finishing in the top five three years in a row. It took years of just watching “the process” and other obvious failures to realize that rewarding incompetence can be bad for the brand.
There’s even a rule targeting election protections.
Teams will no longer be allowed to protect picks in the 12 to 15 range. This was designed to stop late-season tanking aimed at preserving mid-round selection.
Silver spent years acting as if tanking was a minor nuisance. He’s the guy who let termites eat his house for ten years.
The “3-2-1” plan is a clear attempt to solve the antitrust problem that has developed under his watch.
This might cut down on outright tanking, but it also runs the risk of turning the lottery into something fans need a chart to understand.
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during a press conference during the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend at the Intuit Dome on February 14, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Ryan Sirius Sun/Getty Images)
Either way, the NBA is finally admitting that the system it established is broken.
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