Complex sentence: The root of this speculation is the 1985 Draft Lottery that sent Patrick Ewing to New York, with the theory being that the NBA wanted to send the best player in the draft to New York to increase ratings in a large television market.
Split into simpler sentences: The root of this speculation is the 1985 Draft Lottery that sent Patrick Ewing to New York. The theory being that the NBA wanted to send the best player in the draft to New York to increase ratings in a large television market.