The C's situation with Brooklyn (and the joy it provided all of us as C's fan) has made me think it would be an interesting idea if the whole lottery system was revamped so no team owns the right to their own pick.
It was definitely a great situation for us as C's fan last year (and again this year, and possibly next as well) to be able to root for our team to make the playoffs while also being able to dream of landing a franchise player at the top of the lottery.
Then on the flip side, we have Brooklyn and the "why would they tank" attitude. Now think if this were the case for all teams. Why would any team tank if they didn't control their own pick?
My idea is after the real draft at the end of June, but before free agency starts, the NBA holds another draft where teams pick another team's pick to control for the upcoming season (or seasons) and you can't pick your own team. I imagine the 2016 draft pick draft to go something like this:
#1 Philly picks Brooklyn
#2 Lakers pick Philadelphia
#3 Brooklyn picks Phoenix
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#10 Milwaukee picks New Orleans
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#14 Chicago picks Washington
#15 Houston picks Dallas
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#29 San Antonio picks Golden State
#30 Golden State picks San Antonio
Imagine how great that could be for Chicago or Houston or even Milwaukee fans. Actually we don't have to imagine because it's exactly how we feel with the Brooklyn picks. At the same time, Washington and Dallas don't have have the temptation to sit out Wall or Dirk for the rest of the year after they dislocate the pinky finger on their non-shooting hand in mid-February.
Even better if they hold this "draft pick draft" once every 2 or 3 years instead of every year. So you're not just tying yourself to a teams pick for the next season but the next X seasons.
And sure you can say teams would tank for position in this new "draft pick draft", but after the first time this draft happens, you'd be tanking this season to latch your hopes on another teams record the next season, before you even know who they draft, sign, or trade for?
Just spit balling here, and I'm sure there's tons of holes, but it's got me intrigued the more I think about it. Now instead of rewarding teams for incompetence, you're rewarding them for their long term projection analysis for other teams (although it's still probably going to boil down to luck). It would be especially interesting right before a big free agent year. Like in 2010, Cleveland had the best record in the league, but does a team drafting at the top think LeBron is going to split? It would give us even more to talk about and speculate on before free agency!
