Nets rebuild could be affected by new NBA anti-tanking proposal

The Brooklyn Nets came into this offseason with the hope of them getting lucky enough in the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery to get the No. 1 overall pick in the event. Brooklyn is one of a few teams in the league that is rebuilding for a better future, but the NBA is looking to implement a chance that could affect the rebuild of every team, including the Nets. "The NBA has disclosed to its 30 general managers a new anti-tanking, draft reform termed the "3-2-1 lottery" that includes expanding the lottery to 16 teams," Shams Charania reported for ESPN on Tuesday. Since the midway point of the 2025-26 season, the NBA and commissioner Adam Silver have been discussing changing something about the Lottery to prevent teams from going all-in on tanking. "Flattened odds and a relegation zone where the bottom three teams will be penalized with fewer lottery balls for the No. 1 pick, starting with the 2027 draft," Charania continued in his reporting. "There could be minor modifications to the proposal, but the key points of the framework have a majority of the support from teams, according to those sources." In essence, the new proposal would make it so that the sweet spot, so to speak, for teams looking to maximize their odds in future drafts would be landing somewhere between the fourth-worst and 10th-worst record in the league. The public at large has heavily criticized the NBA for the vast difference between the good and bad teams, especially when considering that rebuilding teams were operating in their best interest by not being concerned with winning every game. In how this latest development to the Nets, Brooklyn's front office, especially general manager Sean Marks, could be under more pressure to make sure they nail their pick in the upcoming 2026 Draft. The Nets do not have control of their 2027 first-round pick as they owe that selection to the Houston Rockets via a pick swap so what they do next season could have more implications for the Rockets than it does for Brooklyn.

The "3-2-1 lottery" proposal, named to represent the number of lottery balls per team, would expand the lottery from 14 to 16 teams. Teams that do not qualify for the playoffs or play-in tournament but stay out of the relegation zone (spots four through 10) would receive three…

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 28, 2026 Hmm, I imagine that the NBA is going to put something in to quell tanking, but this seems like a good middle-ground without reading the small details. I like that the Lottery won't include teams in the postseason.