The National Basketball Association is entertaining new ideas for the draft to combat the problem of teams tanking (purposefully failing to compete for wins) to gain a greater chance at a high lottery pick. If you haven’t heard this already, you may be late to the party… However, considering that nothing will likely happen with this information, tardiness is a relative concept. The idea being entertained, as was first reported by Zach Lowe of Grantland and summarized here by our own Brett
No one will argue there’s a problem with tanking in the NBA. The real argument centers around fixing the problem, and the different methods the league could implement to do so. The NBA lottery draft has been around for years, but according to a report from Zach Lowe of Grantland, that could change. One team official submitted a proposal to the NBA detailing a way of improving the draft. Reportedly, top NBA officials like the idea and are considering showing it to
As you can see, Memphis Grizzlies small forward Quincy Pondexter had quite a treat waiting for him on Halloween. That’s Pondexter, a member of the 2010 draft class, signing his contract extension, reportedly worth $14 million over four years. Pondexter became the sixth member of the 2010 draft to get an extension, and might be the last. Teams have until midnight ET to lock up players drafted three years ago with long-term contracts, and no one else seems close to a deal. Pondexter
Mid-October is not synonymous with the NBA draft. Basketball fans are usually starting to notice the NBA preseason and getting ready for the start of college ball. But unlike past years, there has been a greater focus on the 2014 NBA draft and the overwhelming star power it has. That is why “Tankapalooza” is already part of basketball lexicon. For a long time, this next draft has been called the Andrew Wiggins Lottery, and one year prior to the 2014 draft, the
Not all rookies are created equal in the NBA. Over the years we’ve seen some of the most talented, “can’t miss” prospects fail, and we’ve seen second rounders blossom into core pieces on championship teams. Ask Stromile Swift and Kwame Brown. Ask Greg Oden and Marvin Williams. Then ask Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. [Read more…]
Of the popular meanings of the word tank, two have roots signifying damage and destruction. There is the blunt military vehicle, and the less subtle term that is popular in our contemporary basketball lexicon. The basketball version of tanking will unavoidably be a central theme in the upcoming 2013-2014 season. Compared to previous seasons, the 2014 NBA draft class is projected to be filled with All-Stars and franchise-changing players, headlined by Canadian wing Andrew Wiggins, who will play at Kansas this coming
One week after the NBA Finals and a day removed from the 2013 NBA Draft, the Miami Heat have received big news that could impact their ability to play for a three-peat. As soon as the Finals had ended, the Heat’s focus shifted to recruiting Ray Allen to stay for one more year. He signed on for two years with the Heat last summer, but was given a Player Option on the second year of the contract. The recruiting process began with
Unpredictable. Chaotic. Climactic. Frenetic. Turbulent. These are just several words to describe Thursday night’s NBA Draft at the Barclays Center in downtown Brooklyn. For the first time in a while, nobody had any idea what was going to happen. And from the first selection down to the humongous blockbuster trade that went down, the theater and drama of the 2013 draft more than made up for the lack of an impact player among this year’s talent pool. With very few surefire