Overview
- The NBA circulated the proposal to all 30 general managers Tuesday, with reports of majority support and an owners' vote scheduled for May 28.
- The draft lottery would expand to 16 teams with 37 balls, giving the bottom three clubs a 5.4% chance at No. 1 while most non-playoff teams get 8.1%.
- A relegation zone would penalize the three worst records, and guardrails would block back-to-back No. 1 picks and three straight top-five selections.
- If approved, the system would begin with the 2027 draft under a trial that runs through 2029 for re‑evaluation by the Board of Governors.
- Mavericks co-owner Mark Cuban predicts a surge in trades under flatter odds, while analysts split on whether the changes improve late-season competitiveness or over-punish legitimately bad teams and shift tanking incentives toward the play-in.