Mark Cuban: When you flatten the odds, the number of trades will explode. It was impossible to know who would win the tankathon in the off season, and the leading tankers aren’t trading their picks at the deadline BUT you can have a good idea who isn’t a top 8 team in your conference. And teams will do everything they can to trade for their firsts. Get 2 non playoff firsts in a draft, and you have a good shot of having better odds than the bottom 3 this year. And even 2 picks at 5.4 pct each, makes you the equal of a tankathon 4 or 5 team. The question is what puts you in a position to trade for 1sts? Cap room at the deadline. Teams that were headed to the 2nd apron and needed saving. Give me that future first. Willingness to trade good players. Want my best player. We aren’t going anywhere this season. Give me that future first. I think the games to stay out of the bottom 3 will be fun. I think the protection limits are smart. Don’t want teams in the playin making decisions on draft vs win. But teams still have to figure out how to win and now, grabbing as many picks as possible, is the highest value approach Once you know you have the little c next to your team … can’t make the bottom 3, if it’s before the deadline, you can get aggressive If you don’t have a team you like, you make any trade that gets you a first. Just imagine if you have a good young team. But just not good enough to win a ring. And you believe the best player ever is coming this draft , you literally could trade your future firsts , plus your really good young , valued players and when combined with your own pick, or picks you already had, get 5 firsts that give you, with some luck , a 40.5 pct chance of winning the lottery. Still an almost 60 pct chance you won’t. But it sure would be interesting as it plays out. The good news for the nba, the bottom 3-2-1 is smart. The better news for Shams , the trade rumors are going to be off the charts as teams try to “aggregate up” to get the best odds they can

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