NBA Draft Lottery Reportedly Could Be Televised Live in 2027 amid New Format Changes
The proposed "3-2-1" rule may not be the only change coming to the NBA draft lottery in 2027.
Sam Amick and Mike Vorkunov of The Athletic reported Sunday that next year's lottery drawing, which will be in Chicago just like this year's, "may be televised live" following "decades of being drawn in a backroom where the results fed the televised broadcast."
The change could come after the NHL televised its draft lottery live the last two years.
There likely won't be much change for NBA fans. After all, fans do not know the order of the teams when the results of the lottery are televised in the current system and learn as the envelopes are revealed.
A live broadcast may add an element of excitement, but the formatting will surely be similar.
The bigger change would be the "3-2-1" proposal becoming an official rule. Amick and Vorkunov noted the proposal will be voted on during the May 28 Board of Governors meeting in which 23 of the league's 30 governors must approve for it to go into place for the 2027 draft.
Amick and Vorkunov also explained the proposal, which would give three lottery balls each for the teams slotted Nos. 4 through 10 in the standings, two lottery balls each to the three teams with the worst records, two lottery balls each for the teams that finished ninth and 10th in the play-in tournament, and one lottery ball each for the losers of the 7-8 matchup.
The lottery will expand from 14 to 16 teams, and the best percentage chance any team would have to get the top pick would be 8.1 percent instead of 14 percent.
According to Amick and Vorkunov, some executives around the league have expressed concerns such changes are "an overreaction to a problem that was largely inspired by the strength of this particular draft" with so many teams presumably tanking to receive favorable picks this year.
The Washington Wizards were the fortunate winners for the No. 1 pick of the 2026 NBA draft with the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies and Chicago Bulls rounding out the top four. The Indiana Pacers were the hardest hit, as their first-round pick was top-four protected but conveyed to the Los Angeles Clippers when they landed at No. 5.
In a draft that is loaded with talent such as AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson, the lottery was particularly important.
There will be important ones in the future as well, and they could be televised live.
