NBA Draft Lottery

That's always been the purpose of the lottery. Teams aren't supposed to be guaranteed the first pick because of losses, it's too easy to lose games in the NBA that the lottery is there to safeguard against that. In the NFL, remember in 2005 when it was the "Reggie Bush" sweepstakes, where it seemed like everyone was watching for certain teams to lose so that when the 2006 draft came, Reggie would fall to them. The NBA is safeguarding their product, and if fans and the media suspect that the game isn't about pure competition and it's about finishing with the worst record so that they can get the top pick, then they aren't providing a top product to the fans and everyone else out there. Meanwhile, it really does suck for teams that really are bad, like the Celtics and the Grizzlies, who have to watch as Portland and Seattle get their shots at Greg Oden and Keven Durant...