Looks like they're about to vote: Board Of Governors To Vote On New Lottery System, Fines For Resting Players The competition committee of the NBA has recommended proposals on draft lottery reform and for the resting of players. Adam Silver has sought solutions to teams tanking and resting players in nationally televised games. The NBA's proposed changes to the system would begin with the 2019 draft and include a smoothing-out of odds among the league's worst teams. Under the new plan, those teams would each have a 14 percent chance. In the proposed resting legislation, Silver will have the discretionary ability to fine teams for resting players in several instances. Teams will be encouraged to rest players for home games instead of away games.
It seems reasonable to me that leveling the odds for the bottom 3 teams COULD be a way to reduce tanking. I don't think it will eliminate it. I'd also like to see one additional year of team control of players on rookie contracts. Some teams need help keeping their home grown and developed talent. Shaq leaving Orlando, Bosh leaving Toronto, Lebron leaving Cleveland first time, as examples.
Shaq woul've stayed in ORL if he didn't get low balled. They should've offered max money but didn't. Edit: Acutally there was no max offer. They could've written a blank check with no LT. "In 1996, there was no maximum salary provision in the CBA. There was a salary cap, $24.3 million to be exact, but no max salary and no luxury tax penalty (both were products of the 1998 lockout). This is important. This meant that Orlando -- which owned Shaq's Bird rights and could thus exceed the cap to re-sign its own player, while everyone else had to get him under the cap which in many cases meant a full roster gutting -- could've thrown a blank check at Shaq (and not even incurred the luxury tax they would today) and, I believe, ended the negotiation before it started. But they didn't do that. Instead, they lowballed him. Almost offensively so."
I'd say draw for the top 5, lower the the percent to 20% for the 1st pick and go down from there, and do something like this: (Let me know if anyone actually understands this math, lol). If a team got a top 5 pick the year before, their lottery chances would drop as follows: 5th: 5% (Worst team would have a 19% chance instead of 20%) 4th: 10% (Worst team would have a 18% chance instead of 20%) 3rd: 15% (Worst team would have a 17% chance instead of 20%) 2nd: 20% (Worst team would have a 16% chance instead of 20%) 1st: 25% (Worst team would have a 15% chance instead of 20%) If having multiple top 5 picks in successive years, it would add onto each other. For example: the Lakers had the 2nd pick the past two years, therefore if they were the worst team this year (I know they don't have their pick), they'd have a 9% chance at #1 (A Reduction of 55% [20% + 20% + 15%]). It would add until a teams lottery chances were reduced by a maximum of 75% (5% lottery odds for worst team, etc.) The extra ping pong balls would go to teams that didn't have a top 5 pick last year. They would be reallocated according to a curve (worse teams would get more). Extra rule: If a team trades a pick over a year before it's respective draft, they receive no deduction if the other team receives that pick. (Essentially, the Nets wouldn't have reduced odds next year if the Cavs receive their pick in the top 5 this year. Same for the Lakers and Celtics). This would decrease the incentive for tanking in multiple ways: 1.) The longer a team "tanks", the less rewarding it is. The Lakers and 76ers wouldn't have been as rewarded for tanking as they were. 2.) The reallocation and lesser curve makes the difference between the top of the draft and bottom less so, meaning less incentive to rise in the draft. 3.) The 6th pick might be better than 3rd, depending on players available. This is because the team with the 6th pick has no reduction in draft chances the following year, and would get reallocated ping pong balls in the following draft.
Didn't they already have the ability to do this? "In the new resting legislation, Silver will have the discretionary ability to fine teams for resting players in several instances, including sitting multiple players outside of unusual circumstances in a single game, and healthy players in nationally televised ESPN, ABC and TNT games."
