The NBA is gearing up for a major shakeup in how teams approach the draft, and Commissioner Adam Silver is making the rounds to sell the league's latest plan to curb tanking. When the owners meet later this month, the so-called "3-2-1" system will take center stage, and Silver hopes it will change the game for good.

Speaking on Stephen A. Smith's Sirius XM radio show, Silver laid out the vision: "We've essentially created a system of flat odds, so that you have no particular incentive to be bad." Under the proposal—expected to be approved by owners—the draft lottery would expand to include 16 teams (some versions go to 18). The name "3-2-1" comes from the number of ping pong balls each team gets based on their finish. Here's the twist: the worst three teams would get just two balls, while teams finishing 4th through 10th would get three. That's right—the very bottom of the barrel might actually have worse odds than the teams just above them.

Silver also introduced a concept called "draft relegation," where the league's bottom three teams would see their lottery odds drop below those of teams that finished 4th through the playoff cutoff. It's a bold move designed to flip the old tanking playbook on its head. For years, fans of struggling teams have endured the painful but strategic "race to the bottom," hoping a top pick would turn things around. Under this new system, that strategy could backfire.

The league isn't stopping at changing the odds, either. Silver wants more power to punish teams that still try to game the system. This season, the Utah Jazz were fined $500,000 for a creative tanking loophole: playing their stars just 20 minutes in a game, then benching them for the entire fourth quarter. (The Jazz later adapted, citing phantom injuries to sit their players altogether.) Silver made it clear that financial penalties alone won't cut it anymore. "If we see that type of behavior—where teams aren't going all out to win—we can actually take away draft lottery balls or change the order of the draft," he said. "Teams have to know it's not just about paying a fine they think is worth it for a top pick."

For fans and players alike, this could be a game-changer. No more watching your favorite team lose on purpose for a better draft position. Instead, the focus shifts back to competition—and that's something every basketball fan can get behind. Whether you're a die-hard supporter of a rebuilding squad or just love the game, the message is clear: the NBA is done with tanking, and the new rules are designed to reward winning, not losing.