The Sixer Sense
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NBA remains ripe for Sam Hinkie return

By Bret Stuter

LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and J. Cole attend the 2018 JBL Three-Point Contest at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - FEBRUARY 17: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and J. Cole attend the 2018 JBL Three-Point Contest at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA,PA – OCTOBER 30: Sam Hinkie of the Philadelphia 76ers speaks with Joel Embiid
PHILADELPHIA,PA – OCTOBER 30: Sam Hinkie of the Philadelphia 76ers speaks with Joel Embiid /

The path less trodden

In the NBA Draft, there will always be highly talented players with injury concerns. It’s an historic trend which won’t change due to the new lottery rules. There will always be bad NBA contracts. And with that, there will always be a need for teams willing to take on the overpaid players for a premium of NBA Draft picks. That will not change.  Likewise, there will always be teams who value a veteran player on the roster more than a developing player plus a second round draft pick.  That will not change either.

In fact, few teams value second round NBA draft picks, so they are like coins that teams keep around just so they can add a sweetener to a trade deal to make things move along.  Folks, reform or no reform, the rules that have governed the NBA have not changed with the new NBA Lottery odds.

NBA lottery rules simply changed pre-lottery value

In fact, the only pieces which HAVE changed is the value of those NBA Draft picks in the future. Bad team draft picks have deflated, while marginally bad team draft picks in 2019 and going forward have inflated in value.  An executive like Sam Hinkie could, in theory, simply hold out for swap rights favoring mutiple pairs of draft picks. He could simply await the lottery, and then deal. Or he could enforce protections that continue to insulate a pick from a bad lottery outcome.

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Sam Hinkie did not “tank” for one season, for one draft, for one pick. He filled the pipeline of the Philadelphia 76ers for years to come with draft picks, swap rights, and developing players. While nearly the entire NBA shook their head in disapproval, the evidence remains clear. The Philadelphia 76ers, two seasons after finishing the season with just 10 wins, is now on track for up to 50 wins. A league which offers little to no help to rosters battered by injuries should not be surprised when teams simply are not competitive. The rule changes focus on punishing bad teams even further, than focusing on the true issues of creating roster spots for injured reserved designations, increasing the number of two-way players, and requiring all NBA teams to sponser a G-League affiliate.  Until the NBa treats the issue from the competitivenes angle, rather than a draft angle, the NBA remains ripe for the return of Sam Hinkie.