Stan Van Gundy Calls for Radical NBA Draft Elimination to Combat Tanking
In a bold proposal aimed at solving the NBA's long-standing tanking issue, veteran coach and analyst Stan Van Gundy has suggested a revolutionary change: completely abolishing the NBA Draft. Speaking on the Golic & Golic show, Van Gundy argued that transforming every incoming prospect into an unrestricted free agent would instantly eliminate the incentive for teams to lose games to improve their lottery odds.
The Core Problem: Lottery System Incentivizes Losing
Van Gundy's primary target is the NBA's lottery system, which rewards the league's worst-performing teams with higher probabilities of securing franchise-altering talent. This structure encourages organizations to deliberately bench healthy and talented players to accumulate losses. Despite rule changes implemented since the 2019 NBA Draft—which gave the three bottom teams a 14% chance at the top pick and a 52.1% chance of landing a top-four selection—tanking persists.
This season, teams like the Utah Jazz and Washington Wizards have faced intense scrutiny for prioritizing future draft picks over current victories. The NBA has taken disciplinary action, fining the Utah Jazz $500,000 and the Indiana Pacers $100,000 for holding out healthy players, highlighting the ongoing nature of the problem.
Van Gundy's Solution: A Draft-Free NBA
Addressing the tanking issue directly, Van Gundy stated, "What we have to do is remove any incentive to lose. They (teams) see it as through the draft, they want to maximize their opportunities. Even though we don't like the outcome with the tanking, it's hard to fault the teams." He elaborated on his radical vision: "I'd get rid of the draft. No draft. You still have the salary cap, if you want to go give Cooper Flagg $45 million a year coming out of college, do it, he's a free agent. Everybody coming out is a free agent. With no draft, there's no incentive to lose, there's none at all."
Creating a New Market for Rookies
Van Gundy's proposal stems from eliminating the root cause of tanking: the draft system itself. Without a draft, the rigid Rookie Scale—which currently locks first-round picks into fixed four-year contracts at predetermined salaries that may not reflect their market value—would disappear. For example, this season's top prospect, Duke sensation Cooper Flagg, is on a $62 million rookie contract earning approximately $13.8 million annually, despite potentially commanding a higher salary based on his performance.
While critics might argue this would favor big-market destinations like Los Angeles or Miami, Van Gundy contends that the existing salary cap would act as the ultimate equalizer. Small-market teams could leverage significant cap space to outbid luxury-tax-burdened giants, potentially forcing talent to spread more evenly across the league.
NBA's Response and Future Implications
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has acknowledged the tanking issue, stating, "There is talk about every possible remedy now to stop this behavior." Van Gundy's draft-free vision offers a new perspective in these discussions, though it remains highly controversial and subject to debate. As the league continues to explore solutions, this proposal underscores the urgency of addressing a problem that undermines competitive integrity and fan engagement.
