Hoops Habit
Fansided

Adam Silver: NBA Draft Lottery Won’t Change Anytime Soon

By Mark Vandeusen

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; NBA commissioner Adam Silver speaks at the conclusion of the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit

The NBA Draft lottery was first instituted in 1985 in an attempt to prevent teams from intentionally losing games.

Despite several tweaks to the system over the past three decades, the lottery is still far from perfect.  The recent products put on the floor by the Philadelphia 76ers‘ organization prove that “tanking” is still very much alive and well in the NBA.

ALSO ON HOOPSHABIT: The NBA’s 50 Greatest Players of All-Time

But according to league commissioner Adam Silver, there are no immediate changes on the horizon to the current lotto method.  Via Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, Silver said the following last week at the Hall of Fame Reunion Dinner in Springfield, MA:

"“There’s a recognition that the lottery is only one aspect of how to build a team. And given the inflow of the new television money next season and the large increase in the cap, ultimately the owners concluded that while we think we need to take a fresh look at the lottery system, let’s wait and look at the system holistically once the new money comes in.”“Because there’s always unintended consequences and at least everyone understands the rules of the road right now. I think we need to be deliberate about any changes we make, so we’ll turn back to it, but we’re going to leave things as is for now.”"

How long before we may see something new?

"“It will be a couple of years. We will have this very significant increase in the cap next year and I think we’ll have a sense then of how our teams react and what sort player movement we see.”"

Historically speaking, losing on purpose has rarely caused franchises to be successful in the future.  In fact, the San Antonio Spurs are the only team to win the draft lottery and become NBA champions at any point afterwards.

Regardless, clubs will always try to work the system.  Is there a solution?  How about eliminating the draft altogether in favor of a weighted free-agency, as described by ESPN’s Amin Elhassan?  Rookies could sign anywhere they want, but the worst teams would be able to pay them the most money.

Next: History Lesson: Top Lottery Picks Don't Bring Home Titles

More from Hoops Habit