NBA Board to Vote May 28 on Draft Lottery

Merlin sees the league moving to fix tanking. The NBA Board of Governors is set to vote May 28 on rule changes aimed at discouraging losing for better draft odds, with owners pushing for action before the 2026 draft on June 22. Adam Silver told reporters "We are going to fix it… full stop." Options range from flattened lottery odds for 18 teams to a 22-team, two-season ranking and a "five-by-five" model. The flattened-odds plan has the most momentum. Merlin notes flattened odds could blunt the incentive to tank, but change will ripple through roster building and draft strategy. As Shams Charania said, "the proposed concept with the most momentum right now," and there will be "unintended consequences" to all of this. The May 28 vote will reveal how owners balance fairness, competition, and future scheming.