With the act of ‘tanking’ seemingly becoming commonplace in the NBA, the idea of draft lottery reform has picked up steam over the past couple of years. Likewise, the issue of resting healthy players down the stretch has also become a concern recently.
New proposals were recently sent to the NBA’s Board of Governors for a vote with changes such as new odds for teams in the draft lottery, and fines for teams resting players who aren’t injured.
The vote finally came down as ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reports that both draft lottery reform and player resting rules have passed:
The NBA's Board of Governors passed draft lottery reform today, league sources tell ESPN. New rules will start with 2019 Draft.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2017
Sources: New player resting rules passed with NBA Board of Governors too.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 28, 2017
The most notable changes when it comes to the NBA Draft Lottery are the changes in odds of landing the top pick, particularly for teams with the worst records.
The three teams with the worst record in the NBA will now have an equal 14 percent chance of landing the top pick. Previously the team with the worst record had a 25 percent chance of picking first, while the second-worst had a 19.9 percent chance.
When it comes to resting players, Commissioner Adam Silver will have the ability to fine teams who rest players in certain situations such as sitting healthy players for national TV games. Silver has also previously suggested that teams rest players for home games as opposed to road games which are oftentimes fans only chance to see certain players.
Overall these changes are being made to help the overall competitive balance of the league, as well as fan experience when going to games and watching on TV. Whether or not it works remains to be seen, but Commissioner Silver continues to make moves that he believes will be better for the league as a whole.