NBA Owners Vote Against Draft Reform

Oct 20, 2014; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Philadelphia 76ers power forward Drew Gordon (30) controls the ball in front of Brooklyn Nets small forward Andrei Kirilenko (47) and center Jerome Jordan (9) during the second quarter at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Thanks to the Philadelphia 76ers, who have jumped through several loopholes over the last two years to construct the pitiful roster they have today, all 30 NBA owners met on Wednesday to vote on a draft reform. If passed, it would’ve greatly reduced the odds for teams who find themselves in the bottom of the league’s standings year-after-year of getting the top pick in the draft. Currently, the team with the worst record has a 25 percent chance of getting the first overall pick.

Even though only four teams since 1985 have taken home the golden ticket after posting the worst record in the league, it seemed as though change was inevitable in wake of this tanking debacle. Grantland’s Zach Lowe reported that his sources believed that the owners would be heavily in favor of the reform. However, at the eleventh hour, it was voted down at the Board of Governors meeting. 23 votes were needed for the proposal to come to fruition and only 17 were in favor of the change.

According to Adrian Wojarowski, the 13 teams that voted against the reform were: Phoenix, Philadelphia, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee, San Antonio, Utah, Washington, Atlanta, Charlotte and Chicago.

This wont be the last we hear of a possible reform. Seeing as several owners changed their mind at the last minute due to fear of the unknown, this will likely be brought up again the next time the Board of Governors meet, which will take place in February during All-Star weekend.

What this means for the immediate future, though, is that the Philadelphia 76ers’ plan wont change. Or, in other words, Sam Hinkie wins.

Shake it off, Sam. Shake it off.