The NBA considered but ultimately set aside a concept known as the "draft credit" system during internal brainstorming sessions, sources told The Stein Line. The idea was discussed before preferred reform concepts were presented to all 30 teams at the recent Board of Governors meeting in Manhattan.

The system would have severed the direct link between regular-season record and draft position entirely, a fundamental departure from the current lottery structure.

Under the concept, each franchise would receive an equal allotment of draft credits, 100 for simplicity's sake, rather than traditional first- and second-round picks. Teams would then bid those credits in an auction format, starting with the No. 1 overall selection and proceeding down the board.

The trade implications would have been equally significant. Instead of exchanging actual draft picks for veteran players, front offices could offer portions of their credit allotment, say 40 of 100 credits, to acquiring teams. Those teams could then accumulate credits to outbid rivals for top selections.

The mechanism drew comparisons to waiver wire budgets in fantasy football, where teams bid finite currency on available players rather than operating on a fixed priority order.

Amin Elhassan proposed a similar system that abolished the draft as early as 2015.

The concept ultimately failed to gain serious traction compared to less disruptive proposals now under active league consideration, specifically adding Play-In teams to the lottery pool and further flattening lottery odds among non-playoff clubs.

Those measures remain in genuine contention for adoption in May as Adam Silver has pledged substantial lottery changes to combat tanking.