How draft incentives shape losing, lotteries, and top prospects

This cluster examines how NBA teams navigate the incentives around losing and rebuilding, from overt tanking to lottery reform debates. Articles question whether the draft lottery should be eliminated, spotlight the Utah Jazz and Lauri Markkanen’s injury amid league scrutiny of intentional losing, and explain mechanisms like protected picks that influence trade strategy. At the same time, execs and analysts focus on top prospects such as Darryn Peterson and AJ Dybantsa and outline paths forward for lottery-bound teams. Together, these pieces show how structural rules, injuries and economics drive teams’ decisions to chase future stars rather than immediate wins.