NBA don finally pass new anti-tanking rule, wey dem call am 3-2-1 lottery system. Di league board of governors vote 29-1 for di change, wey go expand di draft lottery from 14 to 16 teams and flatten odds even more.
Adam Silver, di NBA commissioner since 2014, bin talk say change dey come. At di league meeting for March, e say, “E be unanimous for di room say we need make change, and we need make am for next season. Incentives need to be fixed. We go fix dem.”
Di new system go create a relegation zone wey go penalize di bottom three teams with lessened chances for di number one pick. Di goal na to stop di annual race to di bottom and make teams compete late for di season.
Under di new rule, di Washington Wizards wey lose 27 of dia final 28 games dis season go face consequences. Dem ensure di worst record at 17-65, but now dem no fit land di top pick again for 2027 if di rule pass as currently written.
Di league also bin include a rule wey say no team fit land first for two consecutive drafts, or inside di top five for three consecutive drafts. Di streak go attach to di original team, not di team wey hold di pick on lottery night. So if Team A get Team B pick and e land first, Team B own pick for next year no go fit land first, even if dem trade am.
Di league decide to start di clock for dis streaks by looking back to di 2025 and 2026 drafts. For example, Utah Jazz pick fifth for 2025 and second for 2026. Under di new rule, dem no fit land inside top five for 2027. But di Jazz bin trade dat pick to Memphis Grizzlies for Jaren Jackson Jr. Now Memphis no go fit receive di pick as number one or top five.
Dis dey cause wahala for teams wey don make trades under old rules. Over 40 unprotected picks don dey traded for future drafts. Di new rule go retroactively devalue some of dem assets. For example, di pick wey Memphis get from Utah for Jaren Jackson Jr. don become less valuable.
Di new system also get a “sunset” clause wey mean say di whole process go be revisited before di 2030 draft. So dis na just a three-year trial. Di league go reconsider alternatives after dat.
Some people dey argue say di top-five streak rule dey too far. Dem say landing fifth pick no be something wey teams dey intentionally lose games for. Di league should consider starting di clock for di consecutive first-pick rule for 2027 and remove di top-five streak rule for now.
Nevertheless, di 3-2-1 lottery largely accomplish Silver mission. But e no perfect. Di league go still dey watch how e play out and make adjustments for future.
