NBA approves rules intended to curb tanking, resting players

NBA owners passed rules Thursday designed to prevent healthy players from sitting out games, and teams from losing games on purpose to improve their draft position.

Under the new draft lottery rules, the teams with the three worst records will all have 14 per cent odds to land the No. 1 pick when the changes are implemented with the 2019 draft.

The team with the worst record previously had 25 per cent odds to win the lottery and could fall to the No. 4 spot in the draft. Now that team call tumble all the way to fifth.

Silver's anthem stance

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said Thursday he expects players to stand for the national anthem, which is a league rule.

He wants them to remain active in their communities and take part in what can be difficult discussions, but he says they understand it's important to show respect for the flag.

Silver didn't say what would happen if any players refuse to stand, adding: "If that were to happen, we'll deal with it when it happens."

Competitive incentives

The lottery changes were to discourage tanking, the practice of losing games on purpose in an effort to improve draft odds. The Philadelphia 76ers relied on the tactic heavily in recent years and the league felt it needed to step in and urge teams to always be competitive.

"These changes were necessary to improve the competitive incentives for our teams," NBA President of Operations Byron Spruell said in a statement.

Also Thursday, the Board of Governors voted to allow Silver to fine teams who violate the league's new guidelines about resting players. Teams can't sit healthy players for high-profile, nationally televised games, and fines for violating that can be for at least $100,000 US.

The rules also say that unless there are unusual circumstances, teams should not rest multiple healthy players for the same game or rest healthy players when playing on the road.