This started as a thought exercise. If the players decided they wanted to form
their own league where the players had stakes in the league so that they could
keep the vast majority of the money, what could they do to maximize the value
of the league? Basically, if you were
starting a league from scratch how would you make it the most fun/profitable? It morphed into a plan for the best possible
version of the NBA. Players don’t stay
at a franchise forever anymore. They
move. Their free agency is a huge
deal. The old way of a player being
forever tied to a franchise is gone.
With all that in mind here is my biggest idea for the best possible NBA:
every ten years you redraft the entire league.
I know
you’re thinking it wouldn’t work, but hear me out. I’ve tried to work through the anticipated
complaints and issues and you’ll see me address them as I go, but think about
how awesome this would be. People would
be crazy for the redraft. It would drive
content. It would get massive
viewership. TV would pay a ton for it. It might be bigger than the games. I've thought out the basics of how it would
work and why it would be (1) awesome and (2) financially unbelievable for the
players and owners. More importantly, given the way players move around
from city to city these days now seems like the perfect time for it.
Players just aren't tied to franchises like they once were. Lets take
advantage of that to make the most fun / most interesting NBA possible.
Let's Redraft the NBA every 10 seasons.
2 years before the
draft:
Our hypothetical redraft is
going to take place after the 2025 season.
We have 5 years to go. The
previous five years everything was normal.
There was a salary cap, free agents, a rookie draft, etc. This will continue to be the case for a
couple more seasons. However the second
to last season before the redraft we get rid of the rookie draft. All rookies are now free agents. I like this because there is less value in
the draft when you won’t have your rookie under contract for 3-5 years. With the draft being devalued, why not allow
rookies to sign where they feel it is the best fit. Further, it’s something unique to change the
narrative for an offseason. I also think
without a draft, they should exempt rookie salaries from the cap. Teams can bid what they want for a
rookie.
Last Season before
the Draft:
The
last season before the Redraft is UNCAPPED and there is no maximum player
salary. This is one my favorite little
ideas to set up the redraft. Big stars
will be setting up their contracts to capitalize on that last season. There could be free agent bidding wars and
teams trying to spend those extra dollars at the end to steal a championship
for a season. I think there should be a
provision that limits how much you can backload a contract (this will encourage
free agent activity the year proceeding the redraft). Also teams will be incentivized to win as
many games possible that season (and every other season) because of my next
rule.
Draft Order for the
Redraft:
The
draft order for the Redraft will be determined by your record over the 10
seasons preceding the draft. During the
first 8 seasons we still have a normal rookie draft where draft order is tied
to your record the opposite way (lottery with bad teams picking early), but the
Redraft will reward the teams that did the most winning over the previous
decade. Record only, not titles. There will still be some tanking incentive
early in the ten years, but is it worth ruining your draft position for the
Redraft? During that final season not
only will fans be tracking their team’s record for that season, but they will
track their record for redraft purposes.
There is interest for every team.
Every season there is incentive to win games because this could matter
for the Redraft.
The Redraft, Rounds 1
and 2:
These
are your stars. They are the guys you
want to build your franchise around. They
are only required to sign a 2 year contract with the team that drafts them, but
can sign up to a 5 year deal if they choose.
There are some financial incentives to sign for the additional years as
well as financial incentives to resign with the team that drafts you. When you are drafting a star in the Redraft
you could get him for a full 5 years, you could get him for only 2 years. Every player that wants to play professional
basketball will be eligible for the Redraft.
There will be no rookie draft that season. All rookies will be in the Redraft.
The Redraft, Rounds
3-6:
Starter
level players. They are required to sign
for at least 3 seasons and up to 5 seasons.
The Redraft, Rounds 7-10:
Bench
and developmental type players. Players
are required to sign 4-5 year contract with the team that drafts them.
Free Agency:
Any
players not taken in the 10 round Redraft will be free agents.
Why Owner’s Would
Agree to It?
I have
to think it would be worth an insane amount of money to the League. It’s relevant to every season, but
particularly relevant as you start approaching the 10th year. It incentives teams to avoid tanking. Owners mostly aren’t keeping their guys
throughout their careers anyways. This gives
the successful franchises a chance to lock in the best guys to new contracts
and gives the struggling franchises a chance to overhaul their roster. Hope is around for every franchise. That has to drive interest.
Why the Players Would
Agree?
The
money would be huge. You just know it
would. The best players would only have
to go to a team for 2 years if they were really against playing for that franchise
then have the flexibility to move on.
The best players could get huge paydays in the uncapped season. Starter level players would have slightly
less flexibility but could still get out of their contract in 3 years. Late round role players would have 4 years of
a guaranteed contract.
Why the Fans Should
Want It?
What
would drive conversation in the NBA more than Redrafting the entire
League? The debates about who you should
take would be never ending. The two
years leading up to the draft would be incredibly exciting. You’d still a nice period of time where the
game is run like it is. You can still
develop attachments to your players, hell it would probably be a consideration
of owners when drafting. Does an owner
who wants to keep his star on his team trade down to a spot he knows he can get
him and acquire an additional pick? Does
he reach for his guy early? There would
be so many variables to consider.
I get
fired up thinking about this idea. I
know it would never happen, but wow would it be incredible if it did.
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