There are eight or more NBA teams that have been playing solely for the draft since at least the All-Star break, but the way this draft shakes out means more to some teams than others.
Throwing in the towel for a better shot at a player that might be the next superstar is nothing new. Over the last five years though, tanking has grown into a cottage industry in professional sports, especially the NBA.
Adam Silver has adamantly expressed the league’s stance against tanking. But so far, the only actions taken by the NBA have been statements and fining Mark Cuban for breaking the first rule of Tank Club (don’t talk about Tank Club… unless you call it “The Process”).
Cuban’s “losing is our best option” comment may have been an honest one and universally-regarded as correct, but it still drew a $600,000 fine. It seems absurd that five words would cost as much as a pre-owned yacht, but there isn’t much the league can do to prevent teams from trading away veterans, playing rookies, and losing a lot of games to build for the future. Silver clearly wanted to send a message and the largest career fine for the league’s most outspoken owner was the only thing he could do.
The 2018 draft class is loaded with talent, particularly at the top end, so the last 20 games of the season are going to be both interesting and meaningful. For a of couple teams, this draft is the start of a long rebuild. For others, it’s make or break, and will determine the franchise’s immediate failure or success as well as trajectory for the next several years.
The following list is a look at just what this draft means to each team vying for lottery position — starting with honorable mentions and counting down the teams that have the most to gain or lose this coming June.