How the NBA Lottery Rules Can Damage and Fuel a Chicago Bulls Rebuild

Adam Silver has caught his white whale ... well, sort of.

On Thursday afternoon, the NBA's Board of Governors officially approved the league's new anti-tanking strategy. It's something that has been on the league office's radar for a while, with Silver specifically ramping up his efforts over the last handful of months.

All signs pointed toward the referendum passing for weeks, which made this development come as no surprise. In fact, the Memphis Grizzlies were reportedly the only franchise to vote against the changes. Their frustration stems from owning the best first-round pick of Utah, Minnesota, and Cleveland in 2027. If the Jazz pick ends up as the one, it can no longer end up inside the Top 5.

Why? The new rules forbid a team from drafting in the Top 5 three seasons in a row, and this will be Utah's second straight year picking in that range. For what it's worth, the fact that Memphis could own the pick does not change that rule.

The NBA has already outlined all the drastic changes in more detail, but I'll drop an abbreviated version below...

• The new "3-2-1" lottery will officially expand from 14 to 16 teams.
• The worst three teams in the league will no longer receive better lottery odds. Instead, these three organizations will be given two lottery balls instead of three to discourage tanking.
• Meanwhile, teams that sit 4-10 will receive the most lottery balls, but the odds will now be flattened among the seven with three balls each.
• The 9th and 10th-seeded teams in the Play-In Tournament on both sides will each receive two lottery balls.
• The two losers of the 7 vs. 8 Play-In will receive one lottery ball.
• No team can receive No. 1 twice in a row.
• The league now has stricter restrictions on protecting first-rounders, while Adam Silver is also allowed to punish tanking teams by reducing odds or changing draft positioning.

In other words, remember that plan you grew used to over the last handful of years? Throw that entirely out the window and prepare for potential chaos. Additionally, prepare for this to immediately complicate Bryson Graham's new era with the Chicago Bulls!

The franchise's lead executive has a lot to think about as he embarks on a more traditional rebuild. With that in mind, let's go over some of the ways this could hurt his plans, as well as some of the ways it could end up helping.

May 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; A general view before the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery at Navy Pier. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | David Banks-Imagn Images

Reasons the New Lottery Could Hurt the Bulls

• When Bryson Graham showed up to the Advocate Center, he wasn't afraid to say the one word that the previous regime feared: "Rebuild." He was very clear about the fact that he intends to take this organization to new heights in a methodical manner. In other words, it sure didn't sound like Graham would be angling for better odds in the future. But that strategy is now officially off the table.

• It also makes constructing a roster fully around inexperience a pretty risky move. As of now, there is very much a world where the Bulls are among the worst three teams in the NBA. Think about it, they could be starting Josh Giddey, Matas Buzelis, and two first-rounders in 2026-27! One has to imagine this could change Graham's free agency approach this summer. Does that mean he will push his chips into building a competitive team right off the bat? No, but he may have no choice but to target a couple more veterans to help keep this group out of the mud.

• A big part of a rebuild is also targeting other teams' future first-round picks. However, as the Grizzlies situation shows, certain picks can now become a whole lot less valuable. Imagine getting your hands on a Nets pick in the near future, only for a team that had a banged-up year and finished 10th to land better odds and secure a higher pick. It's only going to make pulling off big moves harder – let alone make it more difficult to read which teams are truly trending in the wrong direction.

• This might pertain more to the league as a whole, but this system is so different that there is a real chance it changes again in the future. For a team trying to finally climb the ladder, the last thing you want is for the NBA to keep adjusting how team-building works. You want to be able to create a clear plan for the future, and this may be difficult.

Reasons the New Lottery Could Help the Bulls

• So, what's the best news for the Bulls? This new NBA lottery rewards mediocrity, and which team has been more mediocre than the Bulls in recent years!? Even if there is a new man in charge, it's hard to believe this ownership group would stomach a true tank or extended rebuild. This lottery at least gives the Bulls a significantly higher chance to add impact talent despite hanging around in the Play-In Tournament picture. I wish this were the case when they finished 7th a million years in a row!

• There is also real value in having young talent put their best foot forward. The Bulls now shouldn't have to worry about sitting someone like Buzelis late in the year or about potentially letting bad habits sink in. They can instead genuinely compete until the end without any potential ramifications on their future. Not only is this a win for the viewer, but it should be a win for player development.

• At a time like this, it probably feels very good to have control of all your future first-round picks. The Bulls have a full arsenal moving forward and now give themselves considerably more chances to take advantage of this new flattened system. Now, might this hurt the value of their picks in a trade moving forward? Sure. But it feels best to be starting with a clean slate at a time like this, and the Bulls are.

• The same can be said about their future financial flexibility. It's not out of the question that cap space and free agency start to become that much more important again. These moves often come with a major domino effect, and the diminishing value of picks in the marketplace could make blockbuster trades harder to pull off. What if this leads to better talent hitting the open market? The Bulls will surely have to think about that this summer as they begin to set up their books for the future.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on X and Facebook for the latest news

Add us as a preferred source on Google