I’m sure you’ve heard by now that basketball is “broken.” Tanking, injuries, long replays, bogged-down endings, and more have hurt the product.

It’s true that NBA revenue is as high as ever, and card values are increasing… but if things don’t change quickly, I could see those trends reverse.

Taking hobby values with it.

So, let’s have some fun. I’m commissioner for a day, and here’s how I’d fix the sport, and what impact these changes would have on the hobby.

Let’s go.

As long as the worst teams get the best draft odds, the incentive is to lose. In the only proposal that actually makes sense to me, every team that misses the playoffs gets the same odds at the top pick.

Yes, the downside is a decent team getting a transcendent superstar while the worst team might get a blah pick. But it also means these #1 picks would be on more relevant teams more often, which certainly helps the hobby!

I’d also include ALL teams in the play-in, even the teams that make the first round of the playoffs. Don’t want anyone tanking out of a playoff spot for a chance at a top pick.

If a team gets a top-5 pick, they’re less incentivized to tank the following year because their draft position is limited. It’s also pretty unfair when a team gets two great players in a row. The Spurs, for example, got Wemby, Castle, and now Harper with top 5 picks, forming a potential dynasty.

There needs to be some balance.

If you’re unaware, each team in the lottery gets a certain number of ping-pong balls. If your ping-pong ball comes up in the #1 slot, you get the first draft pick.

Let’s say each team gets 100 ping-pong balls. But during the season, say one team is penalized for blatant tanking. The commissioner takes away 5 ping-pong balls. That’s a legitimate penalty!

What’s the point of charging a billionaire $500k for tanking? They know that a superstar could mean tens of millions in future wins and branding.

Less tanking means more relevant teams & players for the whole season, which is a win for the hobby.

This seems so obvious to everyone except owners who don’t seem to be thinking years ahead. In the short-term, it’s true there are fewer games to monetize. In the long run, each game carries a greater impact. There would (likely) be fewer injuries. The revenue offset would be minimal, IMO.

Plus, there wouldn’t be as many “dog days,” which are hobby downtimes during the season. They could still have as many nationally televised games as usual, meaning a larger percentage of games would be seen by more people. All hobby wins.

And that’s it! I think these changes would help the game and the hobby tremendously.

Anything else you’d add?

This doesn’t constitute investment advice, more just a window into my overall strategy as well as for entertainment purposes. All pricing and screenshots are taken from Card Ladder—the only pricing & inventory tool I use.

✔️ Puka Nacua 🏈 - I’m always talking QBs, so let’s tackle a different position. He’s still generally outsold by Jefferson, despite JJ having a bad QB situation on a middling team. Nacua seems like a generational WR, and he might only have 1-2 more seasons with Stafford. I’m watching to see if he drops in the offseason or if I can get a good deal on something—his PSA 10 Silver Prizms have started to drop.

✔️ Deni Avdija 🏀 - He’s not a “go get RIGHT now” guy, but someone I’m keeping an eye on as the Blazers are likely to end the season with a whimper. The Blazers seem close to something good, and Avdija is already a star. You can likely pick up Silver Prizms for around $20 here soon.

✔️ Jac Caglianone ⚾ - His rough 2025 put a damper on his hobby (in some circles), and his 1st Chrome autos are selling for less than many top prospects. Caglianone is a TOP power hitter, projected to be a star, and he’s already in the majors on a contending team. I’d rather bank on that than most prospects.

❌ Jalen Brunson 🏀 - On paper, these Knicks seem rock solid. In real life, I have them behind the Pistons, Cavs, and Celtics. With Brunson’s recent price increase, I’m betting on underperformance in the playoffs. Sell now, or wait until after the 1st round and hope nothing bad happens before then.

❌ Lauri Markkanen 🏀 - I know he’s not sky-high, but his pricing has been increasing lately. The long-term outlook of the Jazz is rosy, but this season is a tank-fest. I’d offload any you have now and buy back in the offseason. The same goes for other tanking teams as well.

News From Around the Hobby

+ The Finest Review - I’m a fan of articles that give more than just the actual checklist. I’m excited for Topps Finest, and this checklist + product review is top-notch. Great investment product to hold, IMO.

+ Mantle Lottery - “Topps also announced buyback cards will be part of the 2026 Topps flagship set, with the top prize being an authentic 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle card.” Incredible 6-figure chase, but the odds are an estimated 1 in 40 million. LOL.

+ Hot/Cold List - Here’s Beckett’s list of the hot/cold players across the 4 major sports.

Up until early 2021, selling cheap cards on eBay was nearly impossible. Most buyers just weren’t willing to pay $4 for shipping on a $2 card. That’s changed now, and I sell dozens of cards worth less than $5 every month…[Keep Reading]

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The content in this newsletter is for entertainment purposes only and is not intended to be actual financial or investment advice.