Was this year's NBA draft rigged?

[Phalanx]

Just wondering what the prevailing opinion is here. If the quid pro quo theory is correct, Dallas and Laker management would have to be in on it. Will it ever leak out?

If your stance isn't represented here, feel free to write it in the comments.

[pezsez1]

Voted the first option.

Luka looked slow and out of shape in these playoffs and I actually don't blame Nico for not wanting to give him a massive supermax contract. He is phenomenal but that is a bit of a gamble. Not saying I'd have done it, but I can see why folks on the inside might have preferred sending him away. With the new CBA structures that matters now more than ever.

Re: the draft being rigged, I just don't see it. It's a fun conspiracy theory but there's no way something that big could be kept under wraps. Too many people would have had to have been in on it for someone not to talk. And it would be far too big of a scandal for the NBA to risk everything. Also nobody would try to "rig" a Lakers roster without giving it a center, that just doesn't make sense. It's like when everyone used to accuse Oregon of buying players while at the same time we never seemed to buy any D-linemen.

[OregonFan4Life]

Like the NFL, I think the NBA is “influenced”, meaning certain players/stories are forced upon the fans to manipulate the perspective of the sport. Sort of like Mahomes and the Chiefs, Mahomes was pushed as the “Michael Jordan of the NFL” and the Chiefs were pushed on us cause of Taylor Swift. I will argue to the day that I die that the true MVP of the 2024 Super Bowl was Chris Jones, not Mahomes, and Mahomes only won because of that influence.

I no doubt believe it’s the same with the NBA, but to rig the NBA and the draft takes so many moving parts and requires so many people to keep it a secret that it is nearly impossible, plus the repercussions of rigging a major sport are so large I can’t imagine those in charge are dumb enough to take that risk.

So my way too long and unnecessary answer is no, the draft was not rigged, we’ve seen teams get incredibly lucky before with the draft.


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[droop10]

The NBA invites media reps and team representatives to witness the actual drawing, so team reps would have to actually be ok with the rigging for it not to get out. I think Harrison did a terrible job with the Doncic trade, but I don't think there was some grand NBA conspiracy behind it. The lottery is a game of chance. Crazy s*** will happen. Kyrie and Davis would both have had to be in on it too, as their injuries are the only reason the Mavs didn't make the playoffs. I think that team would have still been good enough with the 2 of them healthy to at least get out of the play-in.

[pudgejeff]

I think it was more than just the first pick. Spurs getting #2 to pair with their "star" Wemby. 76ers staying in the top 6 so the Thunder couldn't add another top 5 talent and tilt the league too far.

[Phalanx]

I wonder what the chances are of Dallas going from 11th to first and San Antonio going from 8th to second in the same lottery.

I didn't vote in my poll, but I am leaning toward Lakers control the NBA*. I am just having a hard time believing that Dallas would not shop around to get the best deal for Luka. What other team, when trading a top-five player, only calls one GM? I wondered why the NBA would not just give Flagg to the Lakers, but it turns out L.A. doesn't have a first round pick, having traded it for Anthony Davis. So an uneven trade was engineered instead. It just has the ring of truth to it.


* I promise this opinion has nothing to do with the 2000 Western Conference Finals Game 7.

[GrandpaDuck]

Well I voted for "conspiracy theories" because they are fun even though I believe in very few (none) of them. I hold out hope that someday humanity will evolve to the point they'll actually be able to pull one off without getting caught.

[buckmarkduck]

The blazers went up for sale a day later, so bringing down interest in the small market team makes sense. Now they can move them