New NBA Rumors on Anti-Tanking Draft Reform Proposal That Was 'Leader in the Clubhouse'

The NBA's formal proposal to alter the draft lottery process wasn't the expected path for some within the league, according to The Athletic's Sam Amick.

Amick reported Tuesday the "the leader in the clubhouse" was a plan to expand the lottery to 18 teams. The bottom 10 teams would've each had an eight percent chance of getting the No. 1 pick, and the other eight teams would split the remaining 20 percent.

The NBA insider described this as the "heavy front-runner" in April.

Instead, the league rolled out a "3-2-1" system with 16 teams involved. The bottom three teams receive two lottery balls, while the teams positioned fourth through 10th get three lottery balls. There are also stipulations on the distribution for teams that made the play-in tournament.

Another important change is that one team can't win the draft lottery in two straight years or have a top-five pick for three consecutive seasons.

According to Amick, NBA executives want to know more specifics about the rules for the No. 1 pick in particular:

"While the '3-2-1' proposal forbids teams from landing the No. 1 pick in consecutive years, what if a team lands the No. 1 pick by way of its own pick one year and then gets it again by way of another team's pick (that it owns) in the subsequent year (or vice versa)? As of now, league sources say, the NBA's stance is that the team would be allowed to keep both of its No. 1 picks in such a scenario."

The "3-2-1" format still needs approval at the May 28 Board of Governors meeting before it goes into effect. There's a chance it could fail or another approach gains momentum.

But Amick reported this has become "a one-horse race." The vote might effectively be a formality.