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18 Team Draft Lottery Reform Considered Frontrunner
April 27, 2026
Posted 3 hours ago by
The NBA is hosting a virtual meeting with front office executives on Thursday. All 30 teams will be attendance as the league continues to discuss Draft reform, starting with how the lottery works. The league's Option 1 proposal is considered the frontrunner at this point. Option 1 would see the lottery consist of 18 teams: the 14 teams who didn't make the playoffs, plus the four teams that made the playoffs through the Play-In Tournament.
The bottom 10 teams (those didn't make the postseason at all) would split 80 of the lottery odds even 8 odd apiece to win the lottery. The remaining 20 would be divided between the other eight teams. The NBA is taking a collaborative approach with their partners to curb tanking. The Board of Governors will have final say on any changes, but the league has involved front office executives and the NBPA in discussion. The Board of Governors is expected to vote on changes next month. Any changes would be implemented with the 2026-27 season and would impact the 2027 NBA Draft.
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