According to president of league operations Byron Spruell, "many fans continue to say that tanking is making them less interested in the league" and that is why they're pursuing lottery reform.
There will likely be a vote on lottery reform on Sept. 28 at the NBA's Board of Governors meeting.
The league needs 24 out of 30 teams to approve the new rules, which would begin in 2019.
"We are proposing that teams can no longer target finishing positions at the bottom, with a marginal difference in each seed from there on," Spruell told ESPN. "We need to continue to focus on competitive play and owe it to our fans and business partners to do that. It's the right time to take action."
Adam Silver believes draft lottery reform and new rules on resting players is critical for the perception of the NBA.