NBA's tanking problem fixed

Since the Boston Celtics had their tough stretch in the 1990's following the death of Reggie Lewis, I've always hated the NBA math of how sometimes you are better off rooting for your team to lose. For decades now teams' own fans have heated arguments about who is a "real fan"? The fans cheering for their star-less roster to scratch their way to 30 wins or the ones preferring a high pick in the upcoming draft and thus hoping for more losses to make that happen.

Similar to the math of the 3-point shot (Shooting 50% on 2's is the same as 33% on 3's) eventually every team realized that getting a top pick was better for them long term than the pride of being mediocre. And since the NBA has always relied on the draft to reward losing and poorly managing your franchise, tanking is now at its worst. Add in the quiet part left unsaid, that teams sitting their stars and trying to lose is messing with online gambling, and you see why Adam Silver threw out a threat like abolishing the draft altogether.

Silver won't and who knows what idea he will come up with. All the ones they discuss just seem to be reaaranging the deck chair fixes where different groups tank. Hate the idea of a tournament which would lead to decent teams tanking to be in the tournament just for them to all of a sudden get healthy and win a top pick.

Here at Celtics Life we actually solved the tanking problem back in 2013, but I guess the powers that be never saw the post. Here it is again for your reading pleasure:

And if this fix from 2013 doesn't work for you here are two more ideas. First off the NBA does a disservice to its own product by having the best prospects go to the worst franchises to develop. What took the NBA to new heights in the 1980's was Larry Bird and Magic Johnson going to Boston and Los Angeles. Why not have the top 3 picks open to all NBA teams while the rest of the draft remains unchanged?

This way the worst teams still get more assistance with better picks, but they would be picks #4, #5, #6, etc. Teams wouldn't tank for the chance to maybe get the 6th pick. If a top team got a top 3 pick they'd still have to accommodate their salaries (top 3 picks salaries should be increased) with the aprons.

You could also install rules where teams are only eligible for x amount of top 3 picks in a given time period. Personally I think rewarding losing is backwards, but with this system you'd still help out the poorly run teams, just not with top 3 players.

If you really hated the idea of a championship team getting a top pick you could exclude the two NBA Finals teams or four Conference Finals teams. No one is going to tank to not make the conference finals. Having no draft is just a Silver scare tactic.

You can have an NBA Draft that still helps the bad teams without tanking in either of the system suggested in 2013 or the one just now. But if neither of those ideas are your cup of tea, another solution that is much less drastic than Silver's threat to end the draft would be a rule where every NBA team must trade their first round to another team prior to that season.

You could do a swap for swap situation where for example the Wizards and Kings trade their 2027 first round picks, but I think it's easier just to have a rule where picks must be traded before the new season begins. That way you can use them in any trade manner you wish. Again the lone rule is that prior to a season (say 2028-29) you must no longer own your 2029 first round pick.

Yhis also would be much more fun for bad teams' fans to not only get to root for wins without it punishing the team's future but also get to root for the team each day that is playing whoever owns your team's pick. Think Celtics fans getting to root for Nets losses after the KG/Pierce trade.

Ok, tanking problem solved (again). You're welcome. The Keys with all 3 plans are either having every NBA team own another's team's 1st rounder or just open the top 3 picks equally to all teams. You can help the poorly managed teams without forcing the generational talents to languish there.

Tanking is a big issue with the NBA now because of sports betting, but it's been an issue for thirty years with knowledgeable fans and general managers. Stop making fans and team architects have to root for losing. That's so unhealthy. Rooting for the Celtics to maximize their odds of drafting Tim Duncan and Kevin Durant made much more sense than shooting for 30 wins. Again this is backwards.

Let fans root for 30 wins or to sneak in to the play-in tournament even if you know they have no title shot. Tanking will be eliminated once you break the current system and all the ones prior where finishing with more losses maximizes your chances of getting a top 3 pick (or missing the playoffs gives you a chance at a top 3 pick).

No team owns their own first rounder. Or every team (save maybe the NBA or Conference Finals teams) has the same chance at a top 3 pick. It's that simple.


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