NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: Zion Williamson poses with NBA Commissioner Adam Silver after being drafted with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Whether you’re a Knicks fan or not, it might be time to re-think the NBA draft process.
New York Knicks fans just sat through another disappointing draft lottery wondering when the ping pong balls will bounce their way. The Knicks have not moved up since they won the first ever lottery in 1985 when each of the 7 teams had the same exact odds. Needless to say, the only teams that are happy with the concept of the lottery are the ones that have beaten the odds to land a franchise player. All the other teams walk away disappointed.
Is is finally time to get rid of the draft completely?
While my suggestion to do away with the lottery shortly after another drawing where the Knicks fell back in the draft sounds hyperbolic coming from a Knicks fan, it does have merit. Don’t get me wrong, New York’s lottery results are not the reason they have been so bad. There are plenty of franchises that have found great players with picks outside the top 5. But moving up in the draft significantly improves your chances to improve.
Abolishing the practice of a draft is not a new idea. Former NFL Players Association president, Domonique Foxworth has been an advocate of doing away with the NFL draft for years. At first it sounds crazy, but when you think about it, it really isn’t.
Why can basketball players chose where they want to play when they are in high school, college and after their rookie contract, but not when they enter the NBA? It makes no sense, no one has an issue with it in those other circumstances. In fact, the most popular sports events are signing day for college players and free agency for NBA players. Why not do the same with players entering the NBA?
https://t.co/mMphWhGvRd <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"https://t.co/AnUDrdUJJa">pic.twitter.com/AnUDrdUJJa
<p>— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"https://twitter.com/krystenpeek/status/1135937636470673408?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 4, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>The fact is that unlike college, there are only 30 NBA teams and limited opportunities for starter minutes. Also, NBA players are signed to multi-year deals and teams are subject to the salary cap. You can’t have what happens in college where Duke and Kentucky hoard 8-to-10 of the top players every season.</p>
<p>Think about it, LaMelo Ball or Killian Hayes would <strong><em>not</em></strong> want to play for a team with an established point guard, and that team would face the limitations of the cap in trying to pay them both. That would only leave 5-6 teams vying for their services. Those teams would need to prove that they are the best situation for them. These players are not going to put their careers in the hands of a franchise that can ruin it before it starts.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 2) How would it work? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-111484" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1065,w_1600/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F142760160.jpeg" alt="" width="1600" height="1065" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/142760160.jpeg 1600w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2018/08/142760160-768x511.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 1600px) 100vw, 1600px"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:1600px;">CHARLOTTE, NC – APRIL 11: Jordan Brand Classic athlete Nerlens Noel of the Tilton School announces his commitment to the University of Kentucky during an ESPNU Signing Day Special show at the ESPNU studios April 11, 2012 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Kelly Kline/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Abolish the draft: How would it work?</h2>
<p>It’s simple, every team has designated roster spots for two rookies each season. We’ll assume the same rookie wage scale as they have in place today. All the teams can trade the roster spots like they do today.</p>
<p>But the teams will have more flexibility in contract negotiations. They can offer as much money as the 1st pick in the draft would make or as little as the 60th player selected. This is great because the teams in need of a star can offer more money than a team over the cap. Also, the teams can choose to spend less on rookies. Why should the players in a weak draft get paid more than players in a good draft?</p>
<p>This year you might see the Warriors try to trade their pick because they don’t want to be forced to pay the 2nd overall pick almost $10M per season. How many teams take a player at the end of the 1st round out of obligation instead of need?</p>
<p>Teams could trade their rookie roster spots every other year like they do today, but now they would be worth more since there are no protections or restrictions attached the asset. It’s all about how each team manages its salary cap.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> 3) Why it is good for players </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-111558" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2019,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1157241768.jpeg" alt="NBA Draft" width="3200" height="2019" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1157241768.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1157241768-768x485.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: Zion Williamson walks to the stage after being drafted with the first overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>Abolish the draft: Why it is good for the players</h2>
<p>It’s frustrating to watch every year when the best players are forced to go to franchises they don’t want to play for. We saw Zion Williamson’s expression when New Orleans won the lottery, and it was reported that he wanted to go to the Knicks.</p>
<p>You have LaVar Ball on record <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"https://dailyknicks.com/2020/06/21/knicks-lamelo-ball-father-elaborates-perfect-new-york/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying he wanted LaMelo to go the Knicks</a>. It is simply un-American to force someone to work somewhere they don’t want, especially for less than their market value.</p>
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<p>Would I hate the draft lottery if the Knicks had won it a couple of times since 1985? Probably not as much.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="NBA Mock Draft with Knicks picking 8th" data-url="https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/22/nba-mock-draft-knicks-selecting-8th-overall/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/25/knicks-abolish-nba-draft/"https://dailyknicks.com/2020/08/22/nba-mock-draft-knicks-selecting-8th-overall/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> NBA Mock Draft with Knicks picking 8th </a> </div>
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<p>Abolishing the draft would also eliminate the draft conspiracy theories, which I must say sometimes seem to have merit. Every time a franchise has miraculously beaten the lottery odds, it has favored the NBA financially. I don’t recall it once being bad for the NBA’s bottom line. That topic would finally be put to rest. All the responsibility to find young stars would be exclusively on the teams.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">