A new report suggests that many around the NBA are hoping to use the rumored option to end tanking, with the players union favoring instituting new ideas.
Tanking is nothing new in the NBA. However, with the 2026 NBA Draft projected to be one of the best prospect classes in many years, nearly a dozen teams have fully embraced the strategy in the final two minutes of the season. It's gotten to the point where teams like the Utah Jazz have even inserted healthy impact players in the fourth quarter to ensure a loss.
This has disappointed NBA fans and infuriated Commissioner Adam Silver. Now, preventing the 2026 battle for the bottom tier from happening in future seasons is a top priority. This week, ESPN's Shams Charania revealed three ideas to be presented at the next Board of Governors meeting in an effort to end the practice.
On Saturday, Jake Fisher provided new insight on what opinion is around the league on those three ideas. According to an NBA insider, two popular ideas are expected to be introduced, with the 10 teams left out of the play-ins all having an 8% chance at the No. 1 pick. "This perception was strong among many general managers and owners even before the Board of Governors convened," Fisher wrote.
Many also liked the idea of expanding the lottery to 18 teams to include play-in participants. Fisher also said that "the league has expectations." [having 18 clubs] “Teams will be encouraged to remain competitive through the end of the regular season.”
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The insider reports that the three ideas are just concepts, and the one the league decides to go with could be a blend of parts of the three pitches.
Fisher also said that if the 18-team idea is used, players would like to see "the 10-worst teams share a 7% chance at No. 1, rather than 8%. The top selection is shared with the other eight teams in the lottery at a 3.75% chance."
Additionally, players would like to see the NBA copy the English Premier League model to encourage winning. In that setup, franchises "could get an additional $10 million slice of the league's national television revenue depending on where teams finish from 1 to 30 in the standings."
