The league’s chronic tanking has resurfaced as the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Utah Jazz sit with injured rosters while protecting future draft assets. Commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly warned that current incentives reward losing. A veteran executive suggests flipping the lottery formula so that wins after the All-Star break improve a team’s draft position.

Under the proposal, a team’s post‑break record would replace its pre‑break loss total when the lottery is set. Last season, the Toronto Raptors would have vaulted from seventh to second, while the Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers—both 4‑24 after the break—would have slipped from the top spots to the middle of the field. The shift rewards competitive play rather than strategic losses.

Critics argue the change could punish teams that genuinely rebuild, yet the model still allows a 9‑45 pre‑break squad to land a high pick if it wins enough later. By tying lottery odds to winning, the NBA would compel front offices to field competitive lineups, giving fans meaningful games instead of engineered defeats. The league now has a concrete path to curb tanking today.