A new anti-tanking concept is gaining traction in NBA circles: freezing draft lottery odds at a predetermined point in the season so that results after that date no longer change a team’s lottery positioning. According to Kevin O’Connor, the idea has generated interest at the ownership level, with the league looking for a mechanism that discourages late-season “race to the bottom” behavior without directly punishing genuinely undermanned teams that are simply not good enough.
There’s growing support for a potential rule that would freeze NBA draft lottery odds at a certain point in the season, meaning losses after that date wouldn’t affect lottery positioning, per @KevinOConnor
The date could change each year and might not be revealed until after… pic.twitter.com/MiUKoNNn4P
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) February 12, 2026
The core appeal is straightforward. Under the current structure, every loss in March and April can become its own incentive system, one that encourages franchises with nothing to play for to sit healthy players, prioritize development lineups, and quietly optimize for draft probability. A standings “freeze” would sever the most obvious link between late-season losing and draft benefit: once the freeze date hits, additional losses wouldn’t improve a team’s lottery odds, removing the clearest strategic reward for shameless end-of-year tanking.
What makes the proposal especially notable is the wrinkle O’Connor reported: the freeze date could vary year to year and might not even be revealed until after the season, specifically to prevent teams from gaming the calendar. If clubs knew the cutoff in advance, the league fears the incentive would simply shift earlier, creating a sprint to tank before the deadline instead of after it. Keeping the date undisclosed, at least in theory, aims to make intentional losing a far riskier bet, because teams wouldn’t know when their record would stop “counting” toward lottery positioning.
The concept fits inside a broader package of draft-related reforms the NBA has been canvassing as it searches for stronger deterrents. Reporting in recent months has indicated the league has gathered input on multiple approaches, including limiting protections on traded first-round picks and preventing teams from landing top-four selections in consecutive years… evidence that the draft has become a central battleground in the league’s larger war on competitive integrity.
