It would probably still use ping-pong balls, but the odds of the team with the worst record getting the top pick would be greatly reduced. Zach Lowe of Grantland provides the details. Highlights:
The league’s proposal gives at least the four worst teams the same chance at winning the no. 1 pick: approximately an identical 11 percent shot for each club. The odds decline slowly from there, with the team in the next spot holding a 10 percent chance. The lottery team with the best record will have a 2 percent chance of leaping to the no. 1 pick, up from the the minuscule 0.5 percent chance it has under the current system.
The proposal also calls for the drawing of the first six picks via the Ping-Pong ball lottery, sources say. The current lottery system actually involves the drawing of only the top three selections.
This may seem like a minor change, but it actually is a huge deal in terms of roster construction and overall team philosophy, as teams’ incentives would change. Lowe also provides some interesting background information on the issue, including am alternative draft order determination mechanism called “the wheel.”