New NBA draft rule turns Round 2 order upside down in bizarre anti-tanking measure
OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA – MAY 18: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver looks on after the most valuable player trophy presentation before Game One of the NBA Western Conference Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs at Paycom Center on May 18, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The NBA officially passed its contentious lottery reform on Thursday afternoon in an attempt to address a purported tanking crisis. My initial concerns about the plan still stand, and the NBA added in a couple more bizarre elements for the final product.
It was originally reported that teams can’t pick in the top-5 three years in a row, or No. 1 overall in consecutive years, as part of the new lottery changes. This is seemingly meant to address the San Antonio Spurs moving up into the top-4 in three straight lotteries to draft Victor Wembanyama, Stephon Castle, and Dylan Harper. That rule created a dilemma over picks that had already been traded. The league decided that it will not grandfather in traded picks, meaning teams who initially made those deals are now punished for them.
The one team this affects in the 2027 NBA Draft is the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies own the Utah Jazz’s unprotected first-round pick in 2027, but now it’s suddenly top-5 protected because the Jazz picked in the top-5 in 2025 and 2026, and thus can’t land a third consecutive top-5 pick in 2027 even if they’re not the ones making it. Somehow, that isn’t even the most bizarre amendment to the reform.
The NBA announced it is flipping the top-16 picks from the first-round in the second-round as part of the lottery reform. This means the team that picks No. 16 in the first-round automatically gets the first pick in the second-round. The team that holds the No. 1 overall pick in the draft won’t pick until No. 16 in the second. The team that drafts No. 2 overall in the first-round now has the 15th pick in the second-round, and so on.
This is an unprecedented move in American professional sports. Previously, the second-round of the NBA draft has been determined by overall record, meaning the Brooklyn Nets pick third in the second-round this year even though their first-round pick fell to No. 6 in the lottery, because they had the league’s third-worst record. Why would the NBA do this? John Hollinger of The Athletic talked to NBA executive vice president Evan Wasch to get an explanation:
Two pieces of logic drove this, according to Wasch. First was to “counterbalance to the luck of the draw in the first round” by at least giving the poor sap whose ping-pong ball was drawn last a better second-round pick.
Secondarily, however, the league wanted to guard against the scenario — one officials acknowledged was unlikely — whereby teams deep in the relegation zone started to tank to land the 31st pick.
My first question is: who asked for this? My second thought is that this is so strange and so creative that I can’t even really be mad about it. I’m mostly just amused.
I always thought a top-10 pick in the second round was pretty valuable. Some recent hits from that range include Jalen Brunson, Ajay Mitchell, Ayo Dosunmu, Herb Jones, Andrew Nembhard, and Neemias Queta. These days, the depth of the NBA Draft has been significantly thinned out by the NIL money flowing through college basketball, so the second round looks a lot weaker. The No. 31 overall pick (or the No. 33 overall pick once the Las Vegas and Seattle expansion teams join) is still a decently valuable asset, but it’s not really worth being upset over at this point.
The best news for NBA lottery reform haters like me is that it’s only a three-year commitment. Come the 2030 NBA Draft, we will possibly have another new lottery system. Three years is a really short trial run, but that’s what the NBA thought it needed to do to address the public relations black eye that came from tanking. It’s going to be fascinating to see how this all goes, including the suddenly flipped second-round.
NCAA baseball tournament 2026: Schedule, scores, and more for regionals
Mar 1, 2026; Arlington, TX, USA; UCLA Bruins against Mississippi State Bulldogs during the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series at Globe Life Field. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images
The road to the Men’s College World Series begins on Friday, as regional action gets underway.
Here is everything you need to know about the first stage of the NCAA baseball tournament.
NCAA baseball schedule and scores
Friday, May 29
Here are all the games currently scheduled for the NCAA baseball regionals, by day. In the first set of games, the No. 1 seed in each region takes on the No. 4 seed, while the No. 2 and No. 3 teams square off. All times listed are Eastern:
Kentucky 6, Wake Forest 5 East Carolina vs. Tennessee, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU Georgia Tech 22, UIC 5 Northeastern vs. Kansas, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ Holy Cross vs. Texas, 1:00 p.m., SECN Rider vs. Florida, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ Milwaukee vs. Auburn, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ Liberty 4, Boston College 3 USC Upstate vs. Oklahoma State, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ Little Rock vs. Southern Miss, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ Lipscomb vs. Mississippi State, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ St. John’s vs. Florida State, 3:00 p.m., ACCN Saint Mary’s vs. UCLA, 3:00 p.m., ESPNU Washington State vs. Oregon State, 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ Lamar vs. Texas A&M, 4:00 p.m., SECN South Dakota State vs. Nebraska, 4:00 p.m., ESPN+ The Citadel vs. Oklahoma, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ VCU vs. North Carolina, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ Binghamton vs. West Virginia, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+ Missouri State vs. Arkansas, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ NC State vs. UCF, 6:00 p.m., ESPNU Tarleton State vs. UC Santa Barbara, 6:00 p.m., ESPN+ Troy vs. Miami, 6:00 p.m., ACCN Jacksonville State vs. Virginia, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ Louisiana vs. Cincinnati, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ Alabama State vs. Alabama, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+ Long Island vs. Georgia, 7:00 p.m., SECN Northern Illinois vs. Coastal Carolina, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ Cal Poly vs. Virginia Tech, 8:00 p.m,. ESPN+ Yale vs. Oregon, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+ Arizona State vs. Ole Miss, 9:00 p.m., ESPNU Texas State vs. USC., 9:00 p.m., ESPN+
Scores and schedule by region
Here are the schedule and scores for the NCAA baseball regional games by each region. As with the above, the No. 1 team plays the No. 4 team in the opening round, and all times listed are Eastern:
Los Angeles regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 UCLA vs. No. 4 Saint Mary’s, 3:00 p.m., ESPNU No. 2 Virginia. Tech vs. No. 3 Cal Poly, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Atlanta regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Georgia Tech 22, No. 4 UIC 5 No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 The Citadel, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Athens regional
Friday, May 29
No. 3 Liberty 4, No. 2 Boston College 3 No. 1 Georgia vs. No. 4 Long Island, 7:00 p.m., SECN
Chapel Hill regional
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Tennessee vs. No. 3 East Carolina, 12:00 p.m., ESPNU No. 1 North Carolina vs. No. 4 VCU, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
Austin regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Texas vs. No. 4 Holy Cross, 1:00 p.m., SECN No. 2 UC Santa Barbara vs. No. 3 Tarleton State 6:00 p.m., ESPN+
Tuscaloosa regional
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 USC Upstate, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 1 Alabama vs. No. 4 Alabama State, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Gainesville regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Florida vs. No. 4 Rider, 1:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 2 Miami vs. No. 3 Troy, 6:00 p.m., ACCN
Hattiesburg regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Southern Miss vs. No. 4 Little Rock, 2:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 2 Virginia vs. No. 3 Jacksonville State, 7:00 p.m., ESPN+
Tallahassee regional
Friday, May 29
No. 1 Florida State vs. No. 4 St. John’s, 3:00 p.m., ACCN No. 2 Coastal Carolina vs. No. 3 Northern Illinois, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
Eugene regional
Friday, May 29
No. 2 Oregon State vs. No. 3 Washington State, 3:00 p.m., ESPN+ No. 1 Oregon vs. No. 4 Yale, 8:00 p.m., ESPN+
No. 3 Kentucky 6, No. 2 Wake Forest 5 No. 1 West Virginia vs. No. 4 Binghamton, 5:00 p.m., ESPN+
How do the NCAA baseball regionals work?
The NCAA baseball tournament is not your standard single-elimination, bracket format. The tournament kicks off with the regionals, followed by the super regionals, and ultimately the Men’s College World Series.
Regionals are a double-elimination format, with the 64 teams divided into 16, four-team mini-brackets. The top 16 teams in the nation each host a regional, and each of those 16 teams is the No. 1 seed in its regional. Games begin on Friday in a double-elimination format, with each bracket winner advancing to the super regionals.
Super regionals consist of 16 teams advancing to eight matchups, which are a three-game series. The winner of each super regional advances to the Men’s College World Series, which will see those eight teams split again into two brackets of four, in a double-elimination format. That builds to the Championship Series, which is a best-of-three series between the final two teams.
Who are the top 16 teams?
Here are the top 16 teams in the NCAA baseball tournament, ranked from No. 1 to No. 16. Each of these teams is hosting a regional this weekend, and the top eight are guaranteed to host a super regional … provided they advance.
Here are the 64 teams in the field, broken down into the 16 regionals. In addition to the top 16 overall teams being seeded, within each regional the teams are seeded No. 1 through No. 4:
Los Angeles regional
No. 1 UCLA (51-6) (No. 1 overall seed) No. 2 Virginia Tech (30-24) No. 3 Cal Poly (36-22) No. 4 Saint Mary’s (34-25)
The Orlando Magic have hired Sean Sweeney as head coach. Sweeney will finish the season as associate head coach of the San Antonio Spurs.
The Magic also considered veteran head coaches Billy Donovan and Jeff Van Gunfy before moving forward with Sweeney who will be in his first head coaching job.
The Magic fired Jahmal Mosley at the end of their season.
NCAA baseball tournament 2026: Georgia Tech’s bats thunder against UIC
UIC took a 2-0 lead over Georgia Tech in the top of the first inning, when first baseman Will Flanigan homered to right field to bring Alexander Wright around the bases.
From there, however, the Yellow Jackets did what they have done all year long.
Absolutely mash the baseball.
Georgia Tech, the No. 2 seed in the men’s NCAA baseball tournament, erupted for 17 runs over its next three at-bats en route to a dominant 22-5 win in its opening game in the Atlanta regional.
The first big blow came off the bat of Alex Hernandez, who launched his tenth home run of the season to deep left to tie the game at 2-2:
𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐘!!! 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐀 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄!@_AlexHernandez2 launches his 10th HR of the season and two batters into the 2nd, we’re allllll tied up again!
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) May 29, 2026
Georgia Tech took the lead a few batters later when Parker Brosius — yes Scott’s son — lofted a home run to right center, giving the Yellow Jackets a 3-2 lead:
𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐃 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐊𝐄𝐑 𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐈𝐓 𝐀𝐆𝐀𝐈𝐍!!
PARKER BROSIUS 👏👏👏👏👏
His 13th career HR and his 7th since graduating 21 days ago! Tech takes the lead 😤
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) May 29, 2026
They would not look back.
Georgia Tech broke the game open the following inning, putting a five-spot on the board. The big blow came off the bat of catcher Vahn Lackey, a likely top-five pick in July’s MLB Draft:
𝐎𝐇 𝐌𝐘 𝐕𝐀𝐀𝐀𝐇𝐇𝐇𝐇𝐍!!@LackeyVahn DEMOLISHES this baseball. His 19th of the season 😳
— Georgia Tech Baseball (@GTBaseball) May 29, 2026
Lackey finished the day having gone 2-for-3, as he was lifted early in the contest and replaced by Drew Rodgers. Brosius went 2-for-3 as well. Jarren Advincula went 3-for-5 at the dish, hitting his tenth home run of the season as well. Drew Burress, who became the program’s single-season home run leader earlier in the year, did not get a hit but drew a pair of walks before he was lifted.
As for Hernandez, the grand slam he hit in the fourth was not his last blast of the day, as he added a three-run shot in the sixth.
All told, the Georgia Tech lineup combined for 22 hits, seven home runs, and those 22 runs.
It was just the third time in program history that the Yellow Jackets scored 20 runs or more in an NCAA tournament game.
For UIC, Flanigan was not done, as he homered again in the fifth, a solo shot that cut Georgia Tech’s lead at the time to 17-3. Jake Busson added a two-run shot in the top of the eighth to tack on two more runs for the Flames.
Looking ahead, Georgia Tech will face the winner of No. 2 Oklahoma vs. No. 3 The Citadel tomorrow, while UIC will face the loser of that game in an elimination contest.
NBA Board Of Governors Approve Anti-Tanking Lottery Rules
The NBA’s Board of Governors have voted to approve new anti-tanking rules that will take effect next season for the 2027 draft.
The draft lottery will expand from 14 to 16 teams along with flattened odds, and a relegation zone where the bottom three teams get penalized with decreased odds to land the No. 1 overall pick.
Adam Silver prioritized taking significant measures after the NBA received widespread criticism for the number of teams who were blatantly attempting to lose games to improve their lottery position ahead of the anticipated 2026 draft.
The actual drawing of the 2027 draft order is expected to be televised live as it was in the 1980s before the pingpong format.
The new rules are only assured to be in place for 2027, 2028 and 2029, as the league may move to a draft credit system as early as 2030. Under the concept, each franchise would receive an equal allotment of draft credits, 100 for simplicity’s sake, rather than traditional first- and second-round picks. Teams would then bid those credits in an auction format, starting with the No. 1 overall selection and proceeding down the board.
St. John’s massive NIL payment revealed after Tounde Yessoufou chooses transfer portal over NBA Draft
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 01: Tounde Yessoufou #24 of the Baylor Bears reacts to a call in the second half against the Minnesota Golden Gophers in a first round game of the College Basketball Crown tournament at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 01, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Bears defeated the Gophers 67-48. (Photo by Candice Ward/Getty Images) | Getty Images
St. John’s men’s basketball has been reborn since hiring head coach Rick Pitino, but the college legend doesn’t have many years left leading the program. Pitino will turn 74 years old before the 2026-27 regular season, making him the oldest power conference coach in America by a couple years over Michigan State’s Tom Izzo, Tennessee’s Rick Barnes, and Houston’s Kelvin Sampson.
Pitino led St. John’s to a No. 2 seed in the 2025 NCAA tournament, but the team lost in the round of 32. This past season, St. John’s repeated as the Big East tournament champions, but their March Madness run ended in the Sweet 16 as a No. 5 seed. Pitino is going all out to put a Final Four caliber team together before he eventually retires, and on Wednesday night the Red Storm landed the final piece of what should be another elite roster.
Baylor wing Tounde Yessoufou was thought to be a lock to enter the 2026 NBA Draft for most of his freshman year. Questions about his three-point shooting and playmaking eventually pushed him down the board, and when he entered his name in the transfer portal, many started to wonder if a college program would out-bid the NBA for his services. That’s exactly what happened: Yessoufou withdrew from the NBA and transferred to St. John’s at the college withdrawal deadline this week, and he reportedly got a huge sum of money to do it.
Yessoufou will reportedly make “upwards of $7 million” playing for St. John’s next season, according to reporter Aaron Heisen. It’s a shocking figure, but that’s what talent goes for in today’s era of college hoops.
Just before the NBA Draft withdrawal deadline, Tounde Yessoufou committed to St. John’s for upwards of $7 million, a source involved in the process told me.
Yessoufou, a Baylor transfer, chose the Red Storm over #UCLA and others because St. John’s, a non-football school, could…
St. John’s needed a gritty defender with scoring punch to round out its lineup, and Yessoufou is a perfect fit. He’s built more like a linebacker than a basketball player with a hulking frame that has drawn comparisons to Oklahoma City Thunder wing Lu Dort in the past. Yessoufou still averaged nearly 18 points per game as a freshman even with obvious holes in his skill set mostly because he finished well at the rim (68.5 percent), showed off a nice mid-range game, and attacked the offensive glass. His floor spacing is a question mark with a 29 percent stroke from three-point range, but if he shows any improvement there, he’s probably a first-round pick in a weaker 2027 NBA Draft.
Yessoufou isn’t much a ball handler or passer, but St. John’s has other players to handle those duties. Point guard Quinn Ellis comes over from Olimpia Milano, where he was one of the better young guards in EuroLeague. Ellis’ transition to college basketball will be fascinating as a 22-year-old, and it’s possible he’s one of the better guards in the sport. Ian Jackson is also returning to the Red Storm next season, and like Yessoufou, he was a McDonald’s All-American coming out of high school.
Add in Syracuse transfer Donnie Freeman to the front court, and St. John’s has playmaking, shooting, and perimeter defense in its projected lineup.
The center spot will be the question mark for the Johnnies, but they have plenty of bodies to soak up minutes there. Ruben Prey has always intrigued me as a 6’11 stretch big man out of Spain, and he could be in for a big leap as a junior.
The money running through college basketball is mind-blowing right now. The Johnnies came up with the cash, and they landed one of the best available players in the country over the NBA.
SOUTH BEND, INDIANA – DECEMBER 20: Former Notre Dame Fighting Irish quarterback Joe Theismann looks on in the Playoff First Round game between the Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Indiana Hoosiers at Notre Dame Stadium on December 20, 2024 in South Bend, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) | Getty Images
The sport of golf offers different things to different people.
For some it represents an opportunity to be physically active. Golf is, after all, a sport.
For others golf is an opportunity to network and get to know people. When you are out on course for 4-5 hours you want to ensure that you are with people you care about.
For legendary quarterback Joe Theismann… golf is all of these things. Joe recently sat down with SB Nation to discuss his preparation for the American Century Championship and he noted that golf gives him opportunities to do all of the above. He has basically been a part of every ACC and is incredibly excited for this year’s edition.
Tournament prize money for the ACC is up to $750,000 total with a $150,000 first prize, but importantly the tournament has at the same time raised over $8 million for regional and national charities. American Century Investments donates 40% of its profits to the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and activates fundraising at tournament to drive direct donations to Stowers each year. Fans can watch the ACC on NBC or Peacock from July 10th through 12.
President Trump Says He Plans To Attend NBA Finals Game At Madison Square Garden
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he intends to attend at least one NBA Finals game at Madison Square Garden, which would mark the first time a sitting U.S. president has attended an NBA Finals game.
“I think I’ll be going to one of the games,” Trump told reporters at the White House, adding that he had received invitations from “numerous people,” including Knicks owner and MSG Entertainment CEO James Dolan, a past donor to Trump’s campaigns.
“We don’t know if President Trump is coming to the finals, but the president of the United States – no matter who is in office – is always welcome at all our venues,” a MSG spokesperson said.
Trump had originally planned to attend what would have been Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals Wednesday before the Knicks swept Cleveland in four games. New York will face either the San Antonio Spurs or Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals.
A sitting president has never attended the NBA Finals, though Trump has made attending major sporting events a regular practice during his second term, including the college football national championship, a Yankees game on September 11, and the U.S. Open men’s singles final.
No NBA champion has visited the White House during Trump’s current term. Last year’s champion Oklahoma City Thunder cited a “timing issue” for not making the trip. In an anonymous player poll conducted by The Athletic in April, 53.4 percent of NBA players said they would accept a White House invitation while 46.6 percent said they would not.
Former President Barack Obama attended Game 2 of the 2019 Finals in Toronto, but that was several years after leaving office.
Kenny Atkinson Retained By Cavaliers As Head Coach
Kenny Atkinson will be retained as head coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers next season, sources tell ESPN. Atkinson was hired by the Cavaliers in the 2024 offseason to replace J.B. Bickerstaff.
Atkinson had retained the support of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to remain as head coach.
The Cavaliers’ front office hasn’t always been in sync with Atkinson. Some members of the front office had preferred James Borrego when they instead hired Atkinson.
While the Cavaliers reached the Eastern Conference Finals, they were swept by the New York Knicks.
The Cavaliers are expected to be “opportunistic” during the offseason when looking at upgrades to the roster.
RealGM Radio: How The Knicks Escaped Their Old Mistakes; Big Offseason Questions For Cavs, Giannis, Kawhi & More
The New York Knicks are headed to the NBA Finals, and their run raises a fascinating team-building question: how did they build a championship contender without relying on homegrown lottery picks?
Wes Goldberg is joined by Gavin Schall of Locked On Knicks to break down how New York built its Finals team around Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges. Unlike past Knicks regimes that chased shortcuts with moves like Eddy Curry, Joakim Noah, Andrea Bargnani and Steve Francis, this version of the Knicks showed patience, adjusted the roster over time and built a real championship formula.
Then, John Wilmes of RealGM joins to talk about the biggest NBA offseason questions. What should the Cleveland Cavaliers do after falling short? Where could Giannis Antetokounmpo or Kawhi Leonard land if they hit the trade market? What happens with Ja Morant? And which surprise stars – including Devin Booker, Joel Embiid, Kyrie Irving, Alperen Sengun and Zion Williamson – could become trade candidates?
Subscribe to RealGM Radio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or via the RSS feed for smart NBA playoff analysis, trade rumors, draft coverage and big-picture basketball conversations.
