Auction the NBA draft

Replace the current lottery/draft system with a tradable 'capital' auction where teams bid seasonally for player rights, with rules to penalize deliberate tanking, limit long‑range pick trading, and allow carryover of capital. The auction flattens top odds, reduces pure luck of a lottery bounce, and makes draft night a strategic market event rather than a single random draw. — If adopted, this would reframe how professional leagues manage competitive balance and incentives, illustrating how market design can solve institutional gaming and change fan engagement.