The draft lottery has become and integral staple on the NBA culture since it’s introduction and sets it aside as different from the other major sports. To eliminate it seems a bit crazy, but today an article on Grantland reported that a proposal for it’s replacement has been circulating around some NBA circles.
The basic outline of the proposal is moving the entire system to a mathematical wheel, where each team is slotted to pick in a certain spot for 30 years. The process would revolve (like a wheel) and try to eliminate teams from “tanking” to get a top draft pick. Based on the wheel, a team would be guaranteed a Top 6 pick every five seasons. Again, this system would basically be put in place to make teams more careful of their moves and make the league more competitive. If teams knew exactly where they stood in the draft, then there would be no use in tanking an entire season, thus making the overall product better and more enjoyable for the fans.
Will this ever happen? Who knows, but with new NBA commissioner Adam Silver taking over in January, anything could happen. Something like this wouldn’t be able to be put into motion for a number of years down the line, though.
Check out the full Grantland details of the proposal right here.
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