The NBA is taking a major step toward reshaping the future of its draft lottery, with Commissioner Adam Silver confirming a new proposal that aims to put an end to the league's tanking problem. Speaking on Stephen A. Smith's radio show Wednesday, Silver revealed that the NBA has settled on a "3-2-1 lottery" format to present to the board of governors later this month.

Under this proposed system, the three teams with the worst regular-season records would receive the highest odds of landing the top pick—a shift from the current flat odds that have encouraged some teams to intentionally lose games for better draft positioning. This change is designed to reward competitiveness while still giving struggling franchises a fair shot at rebuilding through the draft.

The "3-2-1" name comes from the weighted odds structure, where the worst team gets three times the chance of the fourth-worst team, the second-worst gets twice the chance, and so on. It's a streamlined approach that Silver hopes will discourage the blatant tanking that has plagued recent seasons, where teams have sat star players or fielded intentionally weak lineups to improve lottery odds.

For fans and apparel enthusiasts, this could mean a more exciting regular season—no more guessing which teams are genuinely trying to win versus playing for ping-pong balls. If approved, the new lottery would likely take effect for the 2027 draft, giving franchises time to adjust their strategies. As Silver emphasized, the goal is simple: make every game matter, from opening night to the final buzzer.