The NBA's recent draft lottery changes are meant to deter teams such as the Brooklyn Nets from tanking but may actually encourage them to do so. The Nets are one of the NBA's worst teams, and under the new draft rules, they would actually be penalized for ending up with one of the three worst records in the league.
However, that overlooks the fact that they don't own their own pick this year; the Houston Rockets have swap rights. That's an interesting loophole. If the Nets finish with, say, the fourth-worst record and their selection ends being a top-5 pick in this year's draft, they would be barred from having a top-5 pick in 2028, when they actually own their pick.
Simply put, tanking this season would ensure that the 2027 pick they don't own doesn't prevent them from having a top-five pick when they actually own their selection. Still with me? It's confusing, but so are the NBA's draft lottery changes.
The Brooklyn Nets should exploit the NBA's recent draft lottery changes
Forcing bad teams to jockey to finish outside of the bottom three might prevent a tank from happening. However, it also punishes the teams that are actually bad enough to end up in the relegation zone. Then there is the weird rule preventing bad teams from having a top-five pick in back-to-back drafts.
Top 3, sure, but again, that seems to punish teams that are actually bad and could potentially prolong rebuilds. If the Nets try to exploit the league's loophole, perhaps it will force them to reevaluate that back-to-back rule.
That wouldn't be the actual reason Brooklyn tanks this season. They don't have much talent on their roster, and preserving the chance at a top-5 pick in 2029 is like having an actual lottery ticket. That pick is the kind of hope the Nets need to get through an already three-plus-season rebuild.
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