Gilbert Arenas & Kenyon Martin drop blueprint on how to fix the NBA In-Season tournament: "Give me a lottery pick"

Gilbert Arenas recently shared his thoughts on what bonuses teams should be awarded for winning the NBA In-Season Tournament. The first-ever IST has come to a close, and many have debated over what incentives should be given instead of or on top of a $500,000 cash prize.

While Adam Silver did a good job of adding more drama to the NBA season, people, including Arenas, feel like there should be more to it. Some believe that the teams who win the NBA In-Season Tournament in the seasons to come should be awarded a guaranteed playoff spot.

As for Gilbert Arenas, he feels like a fair reward would be a lottery pick in the NBA Draft. The former NBA star expressed in his podcast "Gil's Arena" that getting a top-eight pick in the draft would feel like an actual reward to the winning team.

Kenyon Martin, a guest on Arenas' podcast, slightly agreed with his sentiments but thought a top-14 pick would seem more fair. "Agent Zero" still thought it's a great idea considering how useful a top-14 pick would be in terms of trade situations.

Arenas said (at 44:17) on his podcast:

"Give me a lottery pick. Reward winning for once. Right? I mean like if the Lakers get the 14th pick in the NBA Draft versus the 30th pick they get every year, yeah!"

"Think about this, they won that right and they get the 14th pick. Now I wanna make a trade right now. I'll give you Rui and our 14th pick, Chicago you get me Zach LaVine. Now I get to keep my guard. ... Now you got real leverage."

---

Should there be more rewards in the next NBA In-Season Tournament?

Indiana Pacers v Los Angeles Lakers: Championship - 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament

There has been considerable buzz in recent weeks surrounding potential alterations in the NBA, particularly the addition of a prize for the championship team in the NBA In-Season Tournament.

The LA Lakers notably dominated the tournament, winning all seven games with a remarkable 19-point average margin, but the current rewards remain limited to monetary prizes for the players and coaches.

Many in the league advocate for implementing incentives beyond financial rewards for teams winning the tournament, aiming to deepen its connection with fans and expand its significance beyond just teams securing victories and individuals receiving cash prizes.

While league insiders generally deem a top-six spot an unattainable goal, one concept garnering more backing is ensuring that the tournament winner at least claims the seventh spot, granting them two home games to contend for a playoff spot.

However, some have pushed back against this idea, citing potential contradictions with the play-in tournament and the league's efforts to incentivize teams to perform well throughout the regular season.

The specific details about the next NBA In-Season Tournament remain uncertain at the moment. Yet, there's a strong consensus that teams should receive a more substantial reward to elevate the significance of winning the IST championship.