NBA's 3-2-1 Lottery Aims to End Tanking and Redefine Draft Odds

The NBA Board of Governors approved a new '3-2-1 Lottery' that expands the Draft Lottery to 16 teams, flattens odds for non‑playoff teams, and uses three, two or one lottery balls per team with draft relegation for the three worst records; it also sets pick floors (no worse than 12, others as low as 16), restricts consecutive top picks, ends top‑12 through top‑15 protections on traded picks, and grants expanded penalties for tanking. The policy takes effect for the 2027–2029 NBA Drafts, with 2030 rules to be determined by a Board vote.