SALT LAKE CITY — Memo to the NBA owners: When you’re done pushing out the racist from Los Angeles, it’s time to fix the draft lottery.

The NBA needs to stop giving the No. 1 pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers, who won the lottery for the second consecutive season. It’s also the third time in four years Cleveland will draft first.

More than ever, the league has to stop rewarding teams for repeatedly losing. This is the fourth consecutive year Cleveland will have a lottery pick. Four of the franchise’s last six picks in the first round have been in the top four.

Here’s to hoping the Cavaliers trip all over themselves and turn next month’s pick into another Anthony Bennett, the top pick last season. In 52 games, Bennett averaged 4.2 points and three rebounds while shooting 35 percent from the field. No wonder Cleveland has set up permanent residence in the lottery.

In an effort to penalize — or at least, not reward — teams for stinking over and over, the NBA needs to come up with something like preventing back-to-back lottery winners. The league also has an image problem when it seems like at least 10 teams are intent on starting the season with the mindset to lose as many games as possible in hopes of getting a high draft pick.

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Jazz to select No. 5 pick in 2014 NBA draft

The Utah Jazz will have the No. 5 pick in this year's NBA draft following Tuesday's lottery selection.

Whether it’s a minor alteration or a major overhaul, the NBA has got to come up with a better draft formula. And while we’re at it, let’s not milk 30 minutes out of the lottery draft television show when it deserves no more than 15 minutes.

The Jazz’s hopes for a top three pick went by the wayside too early. After the Jazz assembled a roster that was destined to suffer through a horrendous season, the reward was the No. 5 pick.

For many in Jazzland, the lottery result was met with disappointment. Most so-called experts have labeled three prospects — Andrew Wiggins, Jabari Parker and Joel Embiid — as can’t-miss NBA players.

“We’re ecstatic with five,” said Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey. “Now certainly you want to move up when that potential is there.”

Speaking minutes after the process, Lindsey went on 97.5-FM and 1280-AM and mentioned all the possibilities the Jazz can explore. They include moving up or down the order and trading the pick for an established player.

“We’ll look at all those potential options,” he said. “Our job is to make great decisions no matter where we pick.”

As disappointing as it was to see the Jazz not get into the top three, they still can land a quality player. Unlike last year, the June 26 draft is considered deep, with up to at least 10 players expected to make an impact next season.

More than likely, assuming they stay at No. 5, the Jazz will have their choice of point guard Marcus Smart and forwards Julius Randle and Noah Vonleh.

Smart was one of the more complete college players, averaging 18 points, 5.9 rebounds and 4.8 assists as a sophomore for Oklahoma State. The 6-foot-9, 250-pound Randle — who averaged 15 points and 10.4 rebounds a game — is the latest one-and-done star from Kentucky.

At 6-10, 240 pounds, Vonleh is much more of a project. He averaged 11.3 points, nine rebounds and 1.4 blocks a game as a freshman for Indiana.

“There’s plenty of talent there from an upside standpoint,” Lindsey said, speaking in general terms in regard to the players expected to be available at fifth.

The problem is, if the projections hold true, none of these players is expected to be a franchise changer. As we saw last season, the Jazz have plenty of good players but lack a superstar.

Here’s where Lindsey comes in. With numerous assets at his disposal, Kevin O’Connor’s successor has to find a way to improve the team.

The mandate starts now, whether through the trades and draft picks. Expect Lindsey to burn up the telephone lines seeking to get the Jazz back in playoff contention and ultimately in the hunt for a championship.

“I think we’ll have a ton of interesting conversations,” he said.

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