AROUND the NBA:

[Mavs2021]

I said it before you need to establish the NBA´s version of relegation.

Worst team = No 1st round pick
2nd worst team = 29th pick
3rd worst team = 12th pick
4th to 8th team = equal odds (10.4%)
9th to 14th team = equal odds (8%)

Also no pick protections, otherwise the punishment becomes ineffective.

Effects:

1.) Nobody can fully tank in the off-season/trade deadline, cause you know that being in the bottom three FOR REAL means you get 12th pick at best. Teams will at least try to build coherent "winning" rosters.
2.) Every team will try from day one/reduce the rest BS, cause you know there are consequences to falling behind.
3.) The bottom of the league actually becomes more interesting to the average fan, that wants to see a rival team suffer the humiliation of not getting a top pick.
4.) The incentive to tank nearly disappears completely, cause the punishment for bottom three is severe and the odds for finishing 4th from the bottom are barely any better than just making the play-in with additional income.
5.) Even the bottom three have an incentive to play hard until the end, since there is a major difference between picking 12th, 29th and no pick.
6.) The flattening of the odds makes it barely interesting to tank between 4th and 14th, especially with the looming threats of falling into the bottom three.

You want to eliminate tanking, punish poor work. It´s kinda ironic, that America has the hire & fire workplace culture, while Europe is very protective of labour rights to the point that even firing a poor worker is difficult, but in sports Europe has promotion and relegation, while America has the social security net for poor franchises.

I know the system sucks for teams that are genuinely terrible, but then get better at your job and don´t plan your stink starting on July 1st.