๐ Five ways new NBA lottery rules could impact this season โ SkimNews
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- The NBA instituted new draft lottery rules for the first time, including flat odds for teams with the 4th- through 10th-worst records, a 'relegation zone' with worse odds for the three worst teams, and a system that draws all 16 first-round picks rather than just four.
- The 2025-26 regular season set a blowout record with 281 games decided by 20-plus points (22% of all games), and from February through season's end, a third of games involving the NBA's worst teams ended with at least a 20-point margin.
- The Trail Blazers went 16-2 against the six bottom-feeding teams despite winning just 41% of games against other opponents, helping produce a record 19 teams with winning records โ a count expected to shrink as bottom teams are forced to compete.
- Of the 11 players averaging 30-plus minutes per game in April for the Jazz and Grizzlies, seven were on 10-day contracts, a roster strategy used to lose that should become less common under the new lottery rules.
- The Clippers (pick owed via swap to Thunder), Bucks (pick owed to Pelicans or Hawks), and Nets (pick owed via swap to Rockets) don't control their 2027 first-round picks, potentially leaving them with no reason to climb out of the relegation zone.
- New restrictions prohibit teams from winning back-to-back lotteries or picking in the top five for three consecutive drafts, creating a potential 'double-reverse' tanking incentive for teams whose picks revert to themselves in future years.
Why it matters: The new rules should produce more competitive late-season basketball and stop the record spike in 20-point blowouts (281 last season). But teams that don't control their own 2027 first-round picks โ the Clippers, Bucks, and Nets โ could still have reasons to stay in the relegation zone, exposing a loophole the new system doesn't fully close.
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