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NBA Floats New Anti-Tanking Rules, Seeks Owner and GM Feedback

The league is examining draft and lottery tweaks to curb late-season roster manipulation after a gambling probe exposed misuse of injury and lineup information.

Overview

  • League officials presented options to owners and general managers including limiting pick protections to top four or 14-plus, barring consecutive top‑four selections, and locking lottery positions after March 1.
  • No rule changes have been approved or scheduled for a vote, and any adoption would require Board of Governors approval.
  • The integrity push follows federal arrests tied to alleged illegal betting that leveraged advance knowledge of player availability and late‑season lineup decisions.
  • Separate measures already in effect tighten injury reporting, requiring game‑day submissions between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. local time and public updates every 15 minutes.
  • The NBA cited recent cases such as the 2023 Mavericks fine, the 76ers preserving a protected pick, and Jazz fines as context, while analysts warn proposals could shift tanking earlier or constrain legitimate rebuilds.