Haliburton said the winner should get a guaranteed playoff spot, which is a nice idea for incentive but probably wouldn’t work because the teams that won could just half-ass it the rest of the season.
I have a couple non-in depth incentives in mind, in addition to the cash prizes.
- If the winner of the in-season tournament makes the playoffs, they get to choose their first round opponent. Would create lots of drama and storylines, while also increasing viewership.
If the winner of the in-season tournament doesn’t make the playoffs, they get increased lottery odds. Still a very good incentive for bad or young teams.
- The team who wins gets an extra first round pick. Probably a lesser incentive compared to the first one, but still something teams would want.
What incentives would you guys add if the in-season tournament is permanent?
Add a number of wins for the winner and the semifinalists that count towards seeding. So you don’t get an awful team with the top seed spot but you could get a decent-but-not-top team with the top-seed spot or a play-in team skipping the play-in. Everyone would take it seriously but you wouldn’t make the regular season immaterial to the playoffs for the winner. Monetary bonuses, even if they were higher, are just incentive for players, not a reason for fans to care.