NBA unleashes powerful new rules to destroy Spurs-style rebuilds

It's official: after months of speculation, the NBA has passed a much-discussed draft lottery rule inspired by the San Antonio Spurs. The Spurs made the Western Conference Finals one year after selecting from the top 3 in the lottery yet again.

Their lottery luck netted them Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper in consecutive drafts. Now, the NBA has put rules in place that prevent teams from selecting in the top five in three straight seasons.

Also, teams will be penalized for finishing with one of the three worst records in the NBA, and teams 4-10 in the standings will have equal odds for the top pick. That means teams that weren't bad enough to be one of the worst teams and not good enough to be one of the best suddenly get thrown a huge lifeline.

The NBA changed the rules to prevent another Spurs-type rebuild

After the backlash the Spurs received for ending up with three top four picks in three straight years, the NBA was forced to finally change the draft rules. Time will tell whether or not these changes will actually help.

That being said, it is safe to say that the NBA draft lottery will be dramatically altered. Lower-middleclass teams could suddenly win the number one pick, throwing the draft into complete chaos.

Imagine the Chicago Bulls or Golden State Warriors landing the number one overall pick next year over a team such as the Brooklyn Nets. It would obviously be a basketball godsend to the Bulls or Warriors, with both franchises going nowhere fast.

However, it could make rebuilds much longer with the draft becoming much more random.

The Spurs are already benefiting from draft lottery luck

No matter what rule the NBA tries to implement, the Spurs have already benefited from lottery luck. They have potentially the best player in the NBA in Wembanyama and two rising stars in Castle and Harper.

The NBA can't unring that bell, and the Spurs definitely don't want them to. If that trio reaches their full potential, San Antonio could have a possible dynasty on their hands. Especially if they are able to keep them together for the long term.

That could mean San Antonio may not be affected by these rule changes for a decade plus. By then, the NBA could have abandoned this rule, with it only being a three-year trial run rather than a permanent solution. Still, the Spurs rule could radically affect how teams rebuild in the short term.

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