What Do the NBA's New Anti-Tanking Rules Mean for the Brooklyn Nets’ Future?

Just as soon as the NBA's tanking issue became an epidemic, hitting peak levels of concern, the league decided to take action. In an era where Adam Silver and the office take a lot of criticism, these new rules could result in a more wholistic, competitive environment.

Teams toward the bottom of the standings can't be blamed for taking advantage of a situation that allows them to get the best odds at a top prospect in the NBA Draft. It's unfortunate, but anyone would do what the league's bottom-feeders are doing; the worst possible place to be is the middle.

But now, the NBA is taking action. Here are some rules that are being explored, with the potential to be implemented as soon as next season:

1. 18 -Team Lottery

The draft lottery would expand to include all of the Play-In Tournament teams, with seeds seven through 15 being included in the drawing. The bottom 10 teams would have an 8% chance at the No. 1 overall pick, while the remaining 20% odds would be distributed among 11 through 18 in decreasing order.

2. 22 Teams Across Two Years

The lottery would include Play-In teams and those who lost in the first round of the playoffs. The league would use each team's two-year record rather than just that season. A floor of 25 wins would be implemented.

3. Five-By-Five Rule

18 teams would be in the lottery, but the five worst records would have equal odds at No. 1. Those teams would, at minimum, land pick No. 10. The ones that fall outside of the top five would get placed into a separate drawing.

These are unbelievably different concepts from the NBA's last change. In 2019, the league's decision to flatten the odds only created more disparity among the hierarchy. Teams are always going to find ways to increase their odds, but this incentivizes those on the verge of being competitive to continue on that trajectory.

But what do these rules mean for the Brooklyn Nets? They're in a unique scenario because while bottom feeders like the Utah Jazz, Sacramento Kings and Washington Wizards were sitting their best players while having numerous surgeries before March, the Nets haven't had to do so much to drop games.

But this does affect Brooklyn to a large extent, especially with a recent report from Brian Lewis of the New York Post that the organization could try to get competitive as soon as next season.

The Nets do not control the destiny of their first-round pick in the 2027 draft. The Houston Rockets have a pick swap, so it makes sense that Brooklyn would stray away from losing; why tank if you're going to end up losing your pick anyway?

So if one of these rules comes to fruition, the Nets would have even more of an incentive to compete after 2027. They'd already be in a situation in which they're trying to win games, and even if they don't make the playoffs or suffer an early exit, they'd get a shot at a higher pick in the draft.