The NBA Lottery reform discussion has been on going. The NBA, looking to stop tanking and possibly give more teams a chance to acquire a superstar, put up their reform bill for vote today. According to Adrian Wojnarowski the reform failed to pass:
The NBA draft lottery reform has been voted down at Board of Governors meeting, league sources tell Yahoo Sports. System stays.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 22, 2014
He later reported that 13 teams voted against the bill, but that it did not include the Cleveland Cavaliers:
Here were the 13 "No" votes, sources told Yahoo: PHX, PHL, OKC, NO, DET, MIA, MIL, San Antonio, Utah, Wash, ATL, CHA and Chicago.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 22, 2014
Not surprising for a team that used the NBA Lottery to build their team, including winning the top spot three of the last four seasons, to vote for the new reform. Drafting Kyrie Irving to be the cornerstone of the franchise was only possible because the Cavs beat the Lottery odds, using the Clippers pick. The new reform would give teams more of a chance to do the same thing. The Cavs used similar luck this off-season to get the rights to Andrew Wiggins who, along with 2013 #1 overall pick Anthony Bennett, helped the Cavs acquire Kevin Love.
The Cavs are in a far different position now, not looking to benefit from the NBA Lottery anymore. Instead their picks, those they still have, will likely be far lower. Yet the Cavs still have a dog in the fight but didn’t vote in the way that would benefit themselves the most immediately.
They are owed a protected pick from the Memphis Grizzlies. The Grizzlies pick is protected, on the high end, if it becomes a Top 5 pick through 2018 draft. If the reform would have passed it could have delayed the Cavs acquisition of the pick. The Grizzlies would have had much better odds of getting a Top 5 pick, as would all Lottery teams, with the reform.
Instead the Cavs have a chance of acquiring the pick as early as this season. The Grizzlies are still talented but are in the ultra competitive Western Conference and have the aging Zach Randolph. Randolph and point guard Mike Conley have proven to be injury prone which could cause the Grizz to fall into the Lottery.
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A Lottery pick would be valuable for the Cavs to acquire young talent, on a cost efficient contract, to supplement the star roster the team has put together. If the pick is conveyed this year it can also be combined with Brendan Haywood‘s voidable contract, $10 million, to acquire another star to run with the new look Cavs.
Wojo went on to report the concerns about unintended consequences led many to vote no:
One owner tells Yahoo: "Several teams started to wonder about unintended consequences and voted no to be able to do further study."
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) October 22, 2014
The Cavs voted for the reform even though the unintended consequences could have impacted their draft pick. The long term game may have been much more important to the Cavs’ administration. The reform was unlike to go into policy for a few years, teams like the Philadelphia 76ers hope at least, which could have led to the Cavs decision to play the odds.
What do you think of Lottery reform and the Cavs vote?