In the wake of the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA at the beginning of the season, the NBA has started soliciting feedback from its owners and general managers on new strategies to fight tanking, sources told ESPN.
According to various sources, the league offered a number of suggestions during a board of governors meeting on Friday on prospective changes to the draft lottery, draft pick protections, and other potential strategies.
Following the federal indictments of former player Damon Jones, Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, the league announced new regulations on Friday to address insider knowledge and performance manipulation.
However, because of its connection to the injury reporting regulations and how those were abused by gamblers looking for insider information, the league is also focusing more on tanking. According to sources, a number of concepts were put out as a brainstorming strategy to stop tanking, including:
• Eliminating the troublesome mid-lottery safeguards by restricting selection protections to either the top four or 14 and higher.
• A team can no longer draft in the top four twice in a row.
• After March 1, lottery places are locked.
In theory, these suggestions—which originated with the league and its top officials—would deter non-playoff teams from benching their starters for games during the season and provide them motivation to keep trying to win games, especially in the latter stages of a campaign.
