The Sixer Sense
Fansided

Should league fix NBA Draft that helped to rebuild Philadelphia 76ers?

By Bret Stuter

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: The draft board is seen displaying picks 1 through 30 after the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: The draft board is seen displaying picks 1 through 30 after the first round of the 2017 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 22, 2017 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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CHICAGO, IL – MAY 9: An overall view during the D-League Elite Mini Camp at the Quest Multisport on May 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL – MAY 9: An overall view during the D-League Elite Mini Camp at the Quest Multisport on May 9, 2017 in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Expand NBA pool of talent

The NBA has a very marketable product. And the first trick to raising the value of a product is to limit supply. So far, the NBA has been incredibly successful at doing that very thing.

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But the league has operated on two principals. Limit the number of players getting into the league is just one strategy.  On the flipside, the league has authorized numerous “waivers” to a salary cap exception to allow teams to retain a core of highly talented players.

In the end, the league has set the stage for arms races among the three or four teams with the best NBA talent. And right now, nobody talks about that. That is going to cause interest in the league to wane.

Too few stars

There are simply too few stars for a 30 team NBA league right now. That has come from a league that focuses too often on the playoffs and not often enough on the talent pool feeding the league.

So how does the league grow more talent?

Well, they are on the right track. The G-league was executed as a sort of half-way bridge between young raw college players and the eventual NBA contract. Now with a league committing to two-way contracts, there if finally an incentive for more NBA teams to invest in young players for tomorrow’s teams.  But the G-league is still optional, can still be heavily poached by any NBA team seeking talent, and has little rewards to the NBA team affiliate.

That’s the second key.