Report: Sixers Against Anti-Tanking NBA Draft Lottery Changes

The Philadelphia Sixers have a shameless, multi-year tanking plan in place. The NBA, in an effort to remove the incentive for teams to be purposely awful, is looking to overhaul the Draft Lottery system. As one might expect, the Sixers aren’t very happy with this idea. Per ESPN:

Lottery-reform measures were introduced earlier this month at league meetings in Las Vegas, and the NBA Board of Governors could vote changes into place at its preseason meeting in October. Although there are several facets and the proposals haven’t been finalized, the goal of commissioner Adam Silver is to balance out the lottery odds so the worst team or teams wouldn’t have the highest chances of landing the top pick, sources said.

 

The rough draft of this plan was met with opposition by 76ers management, which is in the midst of a multiseason rebuilding project that is dependent on a high pick next year. The 76ers, sources said, are hoping to get the NBA to delay the plan’s implementation for at least a year because it would act as a de facto punishment while just playing by the rules that have been in place.

 

The 76ers, however, may struggle to gain support from Silver or fellow teams for holding off on the changes. Philadelphia’s planned sink to the bottom has caused a drag on revenues in one of the league’s largest markets and has upset some other teams, sources said. […] The 76ers currently have more than $30 million in cap space, and they made two lottery picks last month in injured center Joel Embiid and European prospect Dario Saric who aren’t expected to contribute much this season. They also have recently been in trade talks to move their highest-paid and longest-tenured player, forward Thaddeus Young.