[Senator Clay Davis]

The best solution to fixing tanking, IMO, is the one that has a 0% chance of happening: Splitting the league into two leagues and having a relegation/promotion model. Right now, even in a lottery system, the only risk in tanking is you don't get the #1 pick. And even if you don't you can always just tank again next season. But if trying to get the #1 pick also came with getting relegated, and the financial losses that would come with that, players wanting out etc...then teams would have motivation to avoid tanking. But it'll never happen of course. No way you'll get enough owners on board with that.

Eliminating the draft is by far the worst idea, contraction of probably 10-12 teams would be a given within 10 years as all the best players go to the major markets. Lesser markets would struggle to get 5,000 fans a night. The realistic solution is just accept this for what it is and eliminate the lottery. But, go with an Oilers rule or something where if you end up in the bottom five two years in a row you forfeit your slot and get kicked to the end of the first round.