NBA Anti-Tank Legislation Passes with Grizzlies Objecting

The NBA’s new anti-tank bill has nearly passed without a hitch, with the Memphis Grizzlies being the lone dissenters.

In an effort to enhance competition among teams, the league is pushing for regulations that aim to prevent the practice of resting star players to improve draft prospects through poor performance.

The Grizzlies opposed the “3-2-1” proposal primarily due to a stipulation that forbids any team from securing a top-five draft pick for three consecutive seasons, as mentioned by ESPN.

Earlier this year, the Grizzlies parted ways with Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant, deciding to move on from their playoff aspirations. In the process, they traded their star center and gained three first-round draft picks.

Next season, they will have the highest first-round pick among the Jazz, Cavaliers, and Timberwolves—even though Utah was the weakest of the bunch last year.

In fact, Utah selected ace Bailey with the second overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft and picked fifth the previous season.

With the addition of Jackson, the Jazz might finally be on the upswing after nearly a decade of struggles, but Memphis is hoping that their 2027 pick will land them in the top five.

However, should Utah finish in the bottom five, the new rules dictate that their pick will be placed as the sixth overall, regardless of Memphis’s ownership of it.

The Grizzlies have faced challenges recently—particularly with Morant dealing with personal issues and suspensions, leading to two disappointing seasons out of the last three.

Last year, Memphis had a decent record of 48 wins and 34 losses, but this season, they ended up with just 25 victories against 57 losses. The 2023-24 season was similarly bleak, with a record of 27 wins to 55 losses.

It’s conceivable that the Grizzlies may consider shaking up their roster by trading Morant for a more favorable draft pick next season, but the new lottery system complicates that strategy significantly.

Previously, the team with the worst three records had a 14% probability of landing the first draft pick; with the new regulations now in place, that has dropped to just 5.4%.

The chance of being selected as the top pick for grades four through ten stands at 8.1%.

To add to the Grizzlies’ woes, LeBron James recently remarked that Memphis was his least favorite place to play—a sentiment that’s been circulating among league insiders for years.

Interestingly, Memphis recorded the lowest attendance in the NBA last season.