NBA tries fixing tank jobs with confusing '3-2-1' lottery scheme nobody asked for

Jason McIntyre dives into whether the NBA's anti-tanking efforts will slow down the act or not.

Adam Silver has finally decided to do something about the tanking epidemic he spent a decade ignoring.

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The NBA is reportedly moving toward a "3-2-1 Lottery" system that is about as convoluted as a government stimulus package.

French basketball player Victor Wembanyama shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected by the San Antonio Spurs during the NBA Draft at Barclays Center in New York City on June 22, 2023. (Timothy A. Clary/AFP)

Silver is effectively trying to legislate effort because his previous incentives rewarded teams for being dumpster fires.

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The proposal expands the lottery from 14 teams to 16 and creates a de facto relegation zone for the three worst teams in the league.

In a classic Silver move, those bottom dwellers are actually penalized. They receive fewer lottery balls than teams that are merely below average.

Dylan Harper shakes hands with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted second overall by the San Antonio Spurs during the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on June 25, 2025. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The logic here is peak modern NBA, and the league wants to make being slightly below average more rewarding than being truly terrible.

Teams in the middle of the lottery standings would receive the most favorable odds, while the worst teams get reduced chances at the top pick.

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So the message is simple. Stop trying to be awful and aim for