It was the fall of 2014 when the NBA contemplated changing its draft lottery format, putting a proposal to owners with a simple goal: eradicating tanking, which was becoming an obvious problem.
Prior to the 2013-14 season, Philadelphia 76ers general manager Sam Hinkie was open about building a roster fit to lose in the short term. He never called it "tanking," as many fans like to term it. But he did explain his rationale - and you almost had to appreciate his honesty.
Hinkie said the only way to win a NBA title was with a team capable of winning 55-plus games, and the only way to build such a team was with great players. Those players could only be acquired one of two ways: through the draft, or by trading a package of talent for a player who could help a team make a "big leap."
"We're focused on how to put the building blocks in place that have a chance to compete in May. Those teams win in the high 50s," Hinkie said. "They don't win in the teens and they don't add two or three wins a year and they don't add a win a month for a little while to try and get to where they're going. They get all the way to the 50s.
"And they get there usually on the backs of great players. We are still - as much as I've talked about how we make decisions and as much as I've talked about our organizational goals and our player development - it is a players-driven league, still. When we have a set of players that can carry us deep, that's the only way, that's the only way to get where we're going."
'The Process'
The 76ers won 19 games in 2013-14 and 18 in 2014-15. Hinkie continued to sell his prospects, loading up with more draft picks. He was open about "The Process," worrying enough owners about the integrity of the game and the league.
The proposal presented at a board of governors meeting was simple: discourage losing on purpose.
In the current system, the team with the worst record in the NBA has a 25 percent chance of winning the lottery. The second-worst team has a 19.9 percent chance of winning. The percentages drop accordingly down the list.
| NBA Team | Chances of winning |
|---|---|
| 30th | 25% |
| 29th | 19.9% |
| 28th | 15.6% |
| 27th | 11.9% |
| 26th | 8.8% |
Under the proposed new system, the four worst NBA teams would have around an 11 percent chance of winning the top pick. The fifth-last team would have a 10 percent chance of winning, while the team with the best record among non-playoff teams would have a 2 percent chance, up from 0.5 percent.
The vote on the proposal was 17-13 in favor, but it didn't pass, because at least 23 votes in favor were required to implement the reform.
Although the NBA's current lottery system remains unchanged since 1990, commissioner Adam Silver acknowledges a flaw in the system - one that Hinkie continues to exploit. The 76ers GM is still accumulating draft picks; Philadelphia has six first-round picks in 2016, including its own, giving it phenomenal odds of drafting first overall, and potentially twice in the top four.
This season, the 76ers are the worst team in the NBA, with only 10 wins in 78 games.
Auston Dreams
This year, the NHL has adopted a lottery system similar to the NBA's, with one subtle but important difference - the worst team in hockey has a 20 percent chance of winning the lottery, compared to 25 percent in basketball. But the fundamental problem remains. Teams are open about their intentions to sell assets for draft picks and prospects, making games featuring non-playoff teams painful to watch during the final weeks of the regular season.
The NBA's proposed lottery reform was narrowly rejected, but the NHL must adopt it.
Heading into play Wednesday night, the Edmonton Oilers sit last in the NHL with 67 points. They are followed by the Toronto Maple Leafs, who also have 67 points but have a game in hand. Columbus is next with 70 points, followed by Calgary's 73. Can you really distinguish between these bad teams? Isn't there an argument to be made that all four deserve an 11 percent chance at Auston Matthews, the presumptive first overall pick?
Given the hard salary cap in the NHL and flaws in the points system, a fairer lottery makes sense. Sure, there would be jockeying for position, as has always been the case. But maybe some teams wouldn't view consistently finishing last as a slam-dunk route to success.
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