My Proposal to End Tanking in the NBA

I have figured it out...how to end tanking in the NBA.  Tanking is where teams loose all the games they can in order to increase the chances of getting the best pick in the draft.  I have four words that will fix this.  Everyone makes the playoffs.

Now hear me out.  This isn't what you think it is.  This isn't the obvious answer...which is you add one more round to the playoffs, and with 30 teams, each conference leader gets a first round bye.  This is where the bottom 9 teams have a mini play-in tourney.  The winners of this mini tournament will be guaranteed to have draft picks 1-4 the next season.  Involving teams 7 & 8 in the conference standings will have teams that can, vie to be in the top 6 and have the first week of the playoffs to rest.

Here is how it will work.

We have 15 teams in each conference.  We will add 3 additional rounds to the playoffs, each win or go home.  This will take 5 days.

Day 1, there will be 3 games in each conference

#15 will visit #10
#14 will visit #11
#13 will visit #12

Day 2, travel day

Day 3, there will be 2 games in each conference

The lowest remaining seed from Day 1 will will visit #9
The second lowest remaining seed from Day 1 will visit the highest remaining seed

Day 4, travel day

Day 5

The lowest remaining seed from Day 3 will visit #7
The highest remaining seed from Day 3 will visit #8

For the next round of the playoffs

The lowest remaining seed from Day 5 in each conference will face conference seed #1
The highest remaining reed from Day 5 in each conference will face conference seed #2
The rest of the playoffs will be as expected.  #6 faces #3 and #5 faces #4.

The Winners of Day 5 will be guaranteed draft picks 1, 2, 3 and 4, determined by lottery.  These picks are not trade-able before the championship is decided.  If you have traded a first round pick for that season, the team that you traded the pick to will get pick #5 (or 6 or 7 or 8).  The next picks, in a non-trade scenario, would be #5, #6, #7 and #8 will go to the #5 and #6 teams of the conferences determined by lottery.  After this, the remaining teams will draft according to record.

What is the motivation if every team gets into the playoffs, especially to become the #5 and #6 teams.  First of all, teams #5 and #6 will get an extra 5 days to rest before the playoffs begin.  Second, they are guaranteed to extend their seasons by at least 4 games.  They are guaranteed two more home games.  Every team from team #7 to team #12 is only guaranteed one extra home.  The others are not guaranteed any.  Six teams in each conference will have to win three games to get into the lottery.  You want the easier path to the best draft picks.  Right now, the easiest path is to lose.  That is what needs to change.  This is just one idea.