Reports: NBA lottery reform fails at Board of Governors vote

Lottery process to remain the same for now after vote fails by six votes to adjust lottery odds.

By Matt Moore

Oct 22, 2014 at 7:42 am ET • 2 min read

Sam Hinkie has to be pretty happy today. (USATSI)

Both Yahoo Sports and Grantland report that the proposed changes to the NBA draft lottery format to more evenly distribute the odds among the 14 non-playoff teams for top picks has failed in vote at the NBA's Board of Governors' meeting.

The NBA draft lottery reform has been voted down at Board of Governors meeting, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. System stays.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 22, 2014

Correction: Final vote was 17-13 IN FAVOR, short of 23 needed "yes" votes, per league sources.
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 22, 2014

Thirteen teams voted against the reform, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 22, 2014

Big markets -- Chicago and Washington -- voted against the reform, source says. Small market Sacramento voted for it. Strange twist.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 22, 2014

Here were the 13 "No" votes, sources told Yahoo: PHX, PHL, OKC, NO, DET, MIA, MIL, San Antonio, Utah, Wash, ATL, CHA and Chicago.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 22, 2014

One owner tells Yahoo: "Several teams started to wonder about unintended consequences and voted no to be able to do further study."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) October 22, 2014

Would not be surprised if issue reappears at All-Star break or some other time when the entire Board of Governors can get together. (1/2)
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 22, 2014

W/draft lottery reform voted down, it doesn't mean draft lottery reform is over. Comp. committee/owners still looking for better solution.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) October 22, 2014

At the end of the day, owners - at least for now - didn't want actions of Sixers to establish hasty draft lottery reform.
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) October 22, 2014

Some of today's "no" votes came out of fear teams haven't considered the intended/unintended consequences of reform deeply enough. (2/2)
— Zach Lowe (@ZachLowe_NBA) October 22, 2014

So most likely this thing is coming back up again, whether at the February meetings at All-Star or next summer. Nearly all front offices have agreed there needs to be a change, just not this change. It's a huge break for the Sixers, who need this change to wait until after they get through at least another draft.

It's extremely interesting that essentially the entire "Spurs" contingent, those teams lead by current or former members of that regime (San Antonio -- obviously, Oklahoma City, Utah, New Orleans, and Atlanta) voted against the change, with Orlando the lone hold out.

The no vote means that for now, the odds remain the same. It also likely means that any sort of significant and dramatic change, like the "wheel" concept, would fail. The league's looking at a modification, a tweak, not wholesale change.

And now, here's Sam Hinkie's reaction: