The NBA should abolish the draft.

[poochiecollins]

Chi_archie, highly drafted players don't have to win championships to be considered a successful draft. Making the team money and increasing franchise value are first to an organization's management. This shows the importance of drafting high: http://82games.com/nbadraftpicks.htm

The fact that luck is increased at all, while the NBA draft doesn't have the entertainment value that, say, the NFL draft has, should be enough to abolish it IMO.

[poochiecollins]

The Lottery method has always been a head scratcher to me. Is this to help prevent really bad teams from "tanking" it in the end of the season, to ensure they get a #1 overall pick when some big stud is coming out?

If you mean the lottery percentage system, yes. I don't have a problem with this aspect. In other sports, there are more players on the field and team overall, diluting the impact a single player could have.

I think the biggest obstacle would be getting the owners to agree to this, as well as the player's union. As a free agent system would created an unbridled bidding war for $ but also for years in the contract. So we'd be seeing the top 19 year olds trying to get 6 or 7 year contracts with huge $ and therefore the Team's would be sinking/risking alot more in $ in aquiring rookies. and be locked into many years of paying a high press tag. Which seems possibly even more risky long term than a draft, where you only have a 2 year contract with a team option on the 3rd year.

I think that rookies get away with demanding so much in the NFL because if they don't sign a contract, the drafting team has limited options since almost all of the other top players were drafted. If all new players are free agents, a prospective signing team has more leverage through being able to look at many other players at the same position.

[vinny808]

I don't like it. Most guys are given max contracts based on potential anyways. Most second round draft picks work their ass and become good players. What good is it to give a damn 20 year old 20 mil a year for 8 years, while all they have to do is get fat and suck. No, I'd rather keep the current system. Players need to work for their money, show that they deserve it. There are some people in this league that are good scouts. E.g. Mitch Kupchak and Isiah Thomas. Look at their record for who they drafted. And if there is luck, who cares? They're late bloomers, good for the team that drafted them.

I'd would hate to be the team that signed Greg Oden, Sam Bowie, Kwame Brown to over inflated max contracts, just because their demand was high at the time of the draft, even though these players are HIGHLY over valued.

[Alexgurv]

But what about the team that got Lebron James?

[vinny808]

What about Lebron? Should we feel sorry for Lebron? Who is getting millions and millions in endorsements, coupled with a fat contract? Should we feel sorry for Cleveland, a small market team that was lucky enough to draft Lebron? If you got talent, the world will work itself, and you will get paid. Getting into the NBA is easy. Staying in the NBA is a different story.

If you look at any NBA draft, you can clearly see that the top picks don't mean they will become the best players in the NBA. There are so many gems out there. You want a to find good players and become competitive in the NBA? Get scouts and management that actually gives a **** about winning. Jerry Krause, Mitch Kuphak. Some teams are just about the money, Memphis.

Yeah, players may be more attracted to big market teams, but what about San Antonio, who became the DYNASTY of our past decade? Thats the most boring and small market team you can get. While the LARGEST market team has been in the gutter - the New York Knicks.