How to Fix NBA's 'Tank' Problem? Math

The NBA has an "embarrassing" problem that surfaces every spring, writes Michigan State law professor Jacob Bronsther. Teams deliberately lose to improve their odds of getting a high draft pick. (Keeping star players on the bench at crucial moments is a common tactic.) Writing in the Washington Post, Bronsther argues that the draft lottery itself is the problem: As long as worse records mean better odds, non-contenders are rewarded for tanking. Commissioner Adam Silver keeps promising that a rules fix is coming, but Bronsther maintains that none of the remedies under consideration will work.

His alternative: Scrap the lottery and use a two-part points system to establish the draft order. For the first two-thirds of the season, every loss boosts a team's draft position. After the All-Star break, the script flips, and only victories help. Final draft order would be based on that combined total, so struggling teams still get help, but once they're out of the playoff hunt, winning—not losing—improves their draft slot. The result, he contends, would turn dead-rubber spring games into meaningful contests and make tanking irrational. Read his full column.