If the draft is rigged...

[Thaddy]

It doesn't matter if the draft is rigged. Masai considers himself a good scout but he's never really had any top 7 picks.

Hypothetically:

We trade Poeltl for 2 picks at the prior trade deadline.

Tank hard enough to be bottom 3.

Even if we drop we'd end up in the top 7.

Trade the picks we got for Poeltl for a vet C available on the market.

Draft a premium prospect we can develop.

We would have been in the exact same spot we're currently in but with a better pick. Poeltl isn't that special there's a lot of defensive centers that can't provide meaningful offense.

[mdenny]

The nba doesn't do that through draft rigging lol. They do it through the salary cap and CBA regulations that create financial incentives for players to resign with the team that drafts them.

If you want to know how small market teams survive....it's not because "the nba rigs the draft to give them players to sustain fan interest". It's through profit-sharing distributed from the national TV deals.

The raptors are barely ever on national television. Yet their greatest source of revenue is the share they receive from the national TV deals. So teams like the Lakers essentially subsidize teams like the Raptors because their television draw and associated advertising revenue is shared across all franchises. None of which is impacted to any relevant degree because "flagg is going to the Mavericks instead of to the wizards" lol.

That's exactly my point. Teams make money even when they aren't winning. This is why teams are happy to allow draft rigging. Their ultimate goal is to increase ratings so the league can sign the biggest TV deal possible. Individual team success is mostly irrelevant in the long term.

The NBA tries to ensure that its most popular teams and players are successful. When a small market team makes a trade that is favourable to a big market or a star player, the NBA rewards them with a high draft pick. That keeps the fan base engaged.

Just look at the streak of #1 picks that have followed LeBron throughout his career.

2011: LeBron leaves the Cavs. The Cavs are rewarded the #1 pick to draft Kyrie (2.8% odds).

2014: LeBron returns to Cleveland and needs a supporting cast. Cavs win the lottery again (1.7% odds) and trade the pick for Love.

2019: LeBron needs help on his new team. AD publicly demands a trade to the Lakers. The Pelicans win the lottery and draft Zion (6% odds).

2025: LeBron is aging and ratings are plummeting. The Mavs trade a young superstar to the Lakers. They win the lottery with 1.8% odds.

The NBA uses the lottery to both directly prop up their marketable players and to reward teams that support these players.

To defend your position you have to answer the following question:

What financial motivation do the knicks and lakers have in undertaking an EXISTENTIAL risk (ie bankruptcy) to deliver lebron James to the Cleveland cavaliers?

The answer can't be abstract. The Lakers and knicks are ALREADY subsidizing the majority of the league with the revenue that belongs to THEM. The Lakers and knicks are ALREADY agreeing that a draft will take place instead of "well we should be allowed to spend as much money as we want to sign lebron James out of high school".

Does Inter Milan ever say "we should let juventus sign prospect x because it will be much better for the league if there is some parity"? Because THAT is your answer for why the knicks and lakers would go along with the rigged draft.

[SirKen]

Every team eventually benefits from this system so there's an element of soft collusion or complicity between stake holders. You just have to stay in the decision-makers good books and in the long run you'll be rewarded. That's how I predicted that we'd be rewarded and move up in the lottery the bubble year when we were the good little soldiers and played away from home the rest of the season without making a stink.

Very good call, I suspected that as well.

The other thing that was interesting was the change in refereeing after Kawhi's shot in the 2019 run. When I saw that go in and the buzz it generated, the first thing I told my friends was that this might be the first year where we might not have to fight an uphill battle against the refs to win it all as Raptors actually had a Kawhi "narrative" that NBA might want to promote.

Don't get me wrong, the teams and players obviously matter. I just remember the whistle in the first two rounds being wildly unfavourable until after "the shot" and it being a lot more balanced if not occasionally being favourable afterwards.

Truly, this league is more of an NBE than an NBA lol

By the way, I loved all your other posts as well and wholeheartedly agree on your financial benefits and incentives creating the collision angle instead of Silver being this cartoon villain. I think some of the naysayers here are having trouble grasping that part.

[SirKen]

The nba doesn't do that through draft rigging lol. They do it through the salary cap and CBA regulations that create financial incentives for players to resign with the team that drafts them.

If you want to know how small market teams survive....it's not because "the nba rigs the draft to give them players to sustain fan interest". It's through profit-sharing distributed from the national TV deals.

The raptors are barely ever on national television. Yet their greatest source of revenue is the share they receive from the national TV deals. So teams like the Lakers essentially subsidize teams like the Raptors because their television draw and associated advertising revenue is shared across all franchises. None of which is impacted to any relevant degree because "flagg is going to the Mavericks instead of to the wizards" lol.

That's exactly my point. Teams make money even when they aren't winning. This is why teams are happy to allow draft rigging. Their ultimate goal is to increase ratings so the league can sign the biggest TV deal possible. Individual team success is mostly irrelevant in the long term.

The NBA tries to ensure that its most popular teams and players are successful. When a small market team makes a trade that is favourable to a big market or a star player, the NBA rewards them with a high draft pick. That keeps the fan base engaged.

Just look at the streak of #1 picks that have followed LeBron throughout his career.

2011: LeBron leaves the Cavs. The Cavs are rewarded the #1 pick to draft Kyrie (2.8% odds).

2014: LeBron returns to Cleveland and needs a supporting cast. Cavs win the lottery again (1.7% odds) and trade the pick for Love.

2019: LeBron needs help on his new team. AD publicly demands a trade to the Lakers. The Pelicans win the lottery and draft Zion (6% odds).

2025: LeBron is aging and ratings are plummeting. The Mavs trade a young superstar to the Lakers. They win the lottery with 1.8% odds.

The NBA uses the lottery to both directly prop up their marketable players and to reward teams that support these players.

To defend your position you have to answer the following question:

What financial motivation do the knicks and lakers have in undertaking an EXISTENTIAL risk (ie bankruptcy) to deliver lebron James to the Cleveland cavaliers?

The answer can't be abstract. The Lakers and knicks are ALREADY subsidizing the majority of the league with the revenue that belongs to THEM. The Lakers and knicks are ALREADY agreeing that a draft will take place instead of "well we should be allowed to spend as much money as we want to sign lebron James out of high school".

Does Inter Milan ever say "we should let juventus sign prospect x because it will be much better for the league if there is some parity"? Because THAT is your answer for why the knicks and lakers would go along with the rigged draft.

The existential risk of bankruptcy for those teams is if the league has trouble generation sufficient attention, like in the case before the Luka to LA trade. I fail to understand your point.

[Rapsalot]

I would not put it past them on some levels. Not every year but some key years and moves for “General NBA health”

[mdenny]

If the draft was found to be rigged than the 80 billion dollar national tv contract would be void. Disney, Amazon, etc wouldn't have to pay.

And the NBA (1000's of executives, shareholders and lawyers) risk this so that Cooper flagg plays in Dallas instead of Washington.

It's alarming how irrational common ppl have become in many facets of culture, politics and science. And alot of it is the allure of perceiving oneself to be in possession of a galaxy brain.

[UnderdogRaptors]

If the draft was found to be rigged than the 80 billion dollar national tv contract would be void. Disney, Amazon, etc wouldn't have to pay.

And the NBA (1000's of executives, shareholders and lawyers) risk this so that Cooper flagg plays in Dallas instead of Washington.

It's alarming how irrational common ppl have become in many facets of culture, politics and science. And alot of it is the allure of perceiving oneself to be in possession of a galaxy brain.

It's entertainment man, ofc it's rigged

[SirKen]

If the draft was found to be rigged than the 80 billion dollar national tv contract would be void. Disney, Amazon, etc wouldn't have to pay.

And the NBA (1000's of executives, shareholders and lawyers) risk this so that Cooper flagg plays in Dallas instead of Washington.

It's alarming how irrational common ppl have become in many facets of culture, politics and science. And alot of it is the allure of perceiving oneself to be in possession of a galaxy brain.

It's entertainment man, ofc it's rigged

He is so funny. Like Disney and Amazon would prioritize the integrity of the league over the ratings it could generate.

[Pointgod]

If the draft was found to be rigged than the 80 billion dollar national tv contract would be void. Disney, Amazon, etc wouldn't have to pay.

And the NBA (1000's of executives, shareholders and lawyers) risk this so that Cooper flagg plays in Dallas instead of Washington.

It's alarming how irrational common ppl have become in many facets of culture, politics and science. And alot of it is the allure of perceiving oneself to be in possession of a galaxy brain.

It's entertainment man, ofc it's rigged

It’s absolutely **** stupid for 14 other teams to agree on rigging the draft against their own individual benefit. And if the draft was rigged there would be zero reason for teams like Utah, Washington, even the Raptors to tank.

[nikster]

The irony is 500 years ago YOU would have been a flat earther telling Gallileo that he was a heretic and needed to prove the Earth was round, as every credible and educated person swore it was flat.

You think how you're told to think.

Galileo is brought up to justify all sorts of stupid conspiracy theories because the one outspoken voice may be right.

Here's the major difference between Galileo and other dumb conspiracies: Galileo used evidence! He built upon an existing mathematical theory with his own documented and repeatable observations.

Also he was proving the heliocentric model, people knew the Earth was round over a 1000 years before Galileo!

This isn't a stupid conspiracy theory though. It's a logical conclusion. Billionaire owners are colluding to increase the value of their shared product. It doesn't make sense for them not to collude.

Fans care about competitive balance. Owners care about the value of their investment increasing.

I really don't think the incentive is there. I'm supposed to believe that someone like Flagg going to the Mavs is going to increase revenue sharing and league valuation so much that splitting it among 30 teams out weighs the benefit an individual owner would receive from jersey sales and multiple deep post season runs and possibly a title? That's not even getting into the massive risk to reputation if something like this was found out

[nikster]

At the time those who said there was no evidence that the draft was rigged/was not rigged, I wanted to open their brains and see how much **** they have inside

There was multiple posters here claiming it might be rigged and i didnt see anyone suggesy Mavs. Utah was the most common one for "great white hope". You suggested Philly might get rewarded with the top pick. So Now Mavs are proof it's rigged?

Did you say anything about the possibility of the league rigging it for the Mavs before today? Or is this just twisting narrative in hindsight like anybodies conspiracy?

I suggested it a while ago.

Still, it seemed to be a minority opinion. And this poster would have thought it was rigged if any of Utah, Philly or Mavs won , That's a 25% chance of one of those teams winning. (probably would have believed it was rigged for a couple other teams too).

If anything this thread is proof how most of the posters who believe it's rigged will twist their narrative. "If team X or Y wins it's definitely rigged". After team Z wins those same people "See! I told you it's rigged"

[M3tro]

There was multiple posters here claiming it might be rigged and i didnt see anyone suggesy Mavs. Utah was the most common one for "great white hope". You suggested Philly might get rewarded with the top pick. So Now Mavs are proof it's rigged?

Did you say anything about the possibility of the league rigging it for the Mavs before today? Or is this just twisting narrative in hindsight like anybodies conspiracy?

I suggested it a while ago.

Still, it seemed to be a minority opinion. And this poster would have thought it was rigged if any of Utah, Philly or Mavs won , That's a 25% chance of one of those teams winning. (probably would have believed it was rigged for a couple other teams too).

If anything this thread is proof how most of the posters who believe it's rigged will twist their narrative. "If team X or Y wins it's definitely rigged". After team Z wins those same people "See! I told you it's rigged"

So if everybody said it was the Mavs then what?

Fact of the matter is, nobody on the "conspiracy" side thought that the NBA would be this brazen to literally rub it in our faces. Dallas, the laughing stock post-Luka trade with only a 1.8% chance at winning, pulls it off! Hallelujah, what a miracle!!

There will always be people like you eating the script; but coincidences this big don't just randomly keep happening, yet in the NBA they've happened plenty.

All on the up and up though, right?

[Pointgod]

Here’s video of the actual process. Conspiracy theorists should be forced to watch this and then explain to me like I’m 5 how this was rigged for the 4 teams that who ended up getting the ping pong balls combinations.

Watch on YouTube

[M3tro]

Here’s video of the actual process. Conspiracy theorists should be forced to watch this and then explain to me like I’m 5 how this was rigged for the 4 teams that who ended up getting the ping pong balls combinations.

Watch on YouTube

Nobody is going to explain jack to you cause I could care less how PointGod feels on the topic lol. I'm not in the business of explaining to anyone what they should/shouldn't believe.

For all anyone know those balls could have a slight weight difference or magnetic strip that affects their suction. Now you'll want proof of that...and on and on and on.

Dallas winning the lottery with a 1.8% chance, a few months after gifting the Lakers one Luka Doncic; just smells fishy. Nobody can argue that it doesn't based on video that the NBA itself has released "showing the process".

[KingSebastian]

Draft is rigged = COVID is a hoax, burn the masks

Draft is legit = COVID is real, stop the spread



I bet it's the same groups still fighting

Sent from my Pixel 9 Pro Fold using RealGM mobile app

[Shakril]

Ah people still spin this conspiracy but dont provide any evidence. Your interpretation of what has happened is NOT evidence. Its just a theory. Proof it or stop spreading it.

[Shakril]

Here’s video of the actual process. Conspiracy theorists should be forced to watch this and then explain to me like I’m 5 how this was rigged for the 4 teams that who ended up getting the ping pong balls combinations.

Watch on YouTube

Nobody is going to explain jack to you cause I could care less how PointGod feels on the topic lol. I'm not in the business of explaining to anyone what they should/shouldn't believe.

For all anyone know those balls could have a slight weight difference or magnetic strip that affects their suction. Now you'll want proof of that...and on and on and on.

Dallas winning the lottery with a 1.8% chance, a few months after gifting the Lakers one Luka Doncic; just smells fishy. Nobody can argue that it doesn't based on video that the NBA itself has released "showing the process".

1,8% is not 0.

You dont have any proof. Thats the only thing that has been asked for. Proof it. But no you just keep on talking this BS conspiracy only cause you dont like the results.

[UnderdogRaptors]

If the draft was found to be rigged than the 80 billion dollar national tv contract would be void. Disney, Amazon, etc wouldn't have to pay.

And the NBA (1000's of executives, shareholders and lawyers) risk this so that Cooper flagg plays in Dallas instead of Washington.

It's alarming how irrational common ppl have become in many facets of culture, politics and science. And alot of it is the allure of perceiving oneself to be in possession of a galaxy brain.

It's entertainment man, ofc it's rigged

It’s absolutely **** stupid for 14 other teams to agree on rigging the draft against their own individual benefit. And if the draft was rigged there would be zero reason for teams like Utah, Washington, even the Raptors to tank.

It's rigged man if you can't see that idk what to say

[PhilBlackson]

It's entertainment man, ofc it's rigged

It’s absolutely **** stupid for 14 other teams to agree on rigging the draft against their own individual benefit. And if the draft was rigged there would be zero reason for teams like Utah, Washington, even the Raptors to tank.

It's rigged man if you can't see that idk what to say

Also it wouldn’t be about “14 teams agreeing on it”…it’s Silver looking at how he can boost ratings and allowing stuff like this and the blatant inside job the Luka trade was. Everyone heard how the league was badly struggling with ratings and this stuff was all a stimulus package to revive interest which it almost certainly will.

[Pointgod]

Here’s video of the actual process. Conspiracy theorists should be forced to watch this and then explain to me like I’m 5 how this was rigged for the 4 teams that who ended up getting the ping pong balls combinations.

Watch on YouTube

Nobody is going to explain jack to you cause I could care less how PointGod feels on the topic lol. I'm not in the business of explaining to anyone what they should/shouldn't believe.

For all anyone know those balls could have a slight weight difference or magnetic strip that affects their suction. Now you'll want proof of that...and on and on and on.

Dallas winning the lottery with a 1.8% chance, a few months after gifting the Lakers one Luka Doncic; just smells fishy. Nobody can argue that it doesn't based on video that the NBA itself has released "showing the process".

It’s only fishy to you because you literally don’t understand how the process works. If you actually listened to the video the balls are all weighted before the process and the whole magnetic stripe argument doesn’t explain how you get the exact combination that the Mavs got. The Mavs were two playin wins from this whole conspiracy theory being blown up.