In a major move to reshape the NBA landscape, Commissioner Adam Silver has unveiled a bold new plan to combat the league's "tanking" epidemic—where teams intentionally lose games to boost their draft lottery odds. During a lively call-in to Stephen A. Smith's radio show on Wednesday, Silver detailed the proposed changes that could revolutionize how teams approach the regular season.

"We're creating a system of flat odds, so there's no particular incentive to be bad," Silver explained. The cornerstone of the plan is a new "draft relegation" concept that flips the script on traditional lottery logic. Under this system, the league's bottom three teams would actually face worse odds than teams ranked fourth through those just missing the playoffs. It's a radical shift designed to reward competitive effort rather than strategic losing.

But the league isn't stopping there. Silver confirmed that the NBA would gain unprecedented authority to crack down on overt tanking. "If we see teams not going all out to win, we can take away draft lottery balls or change the draft order entirely," he warned. "Teams need to know it's not just about paying a fine—it will directly impact their ability to get a top draft pick."

The proposal, set to be presented to team owners at the end of May, would be implemented as a three-year trial. "We're calling it a 'sunset' system," Silver noted. "It'll give us time to study how teams respond and explore other creative ways to distribute players." This patient approach reflects the league's desire to fine-tune the system based on real-world results, rather than rushing into permanent changes.

For fans and teams alike, this marks a pivotal moment in NBA history. The new rules could dramatically alter draft strategies, making every regular-season game matter more than ever. As Silver continues to fine-tune the details, one thing is clear: the era of deliberate tanking may be coming to an end.