After a bizarre season-defining game for the Mavericks, the NBA has found enough merit to conduct an investigation into tanking claims.
“The NBA commenced an investigation today into the facts and circumstances surrounding the Dallas Mavericks’ roster decisions and game conduct with respect to last night’s Chicago Bulls-Mavericks game, including the motivations behind those actions” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said, according to ESPN.
On Friday night against the Bulls, with the playoffs on the line, the Mavericks made a decision to sit several of their star players and limit Luka Doncic to one quarter.
It gave the impression Dallas was not trying to make the Western Conference’s play-in tournament in favor of securing a top-10 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, so their selection would not go to the Knicks.
Before the game, Dallas coach Jason Kidd explained it was “organizational decision” to limit Doncic to the first quarter and sitting Kyrie Irving along with Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber, Josh Green and Christian Wood.
Both Green and Wood were listed to be out for rest, which caused fans to accuse the Mavericks of tanking.
If this was done by Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and his staff deliberately, it wouldn’t be for the first time, as Cuban was fined $600,000 in 2018 for admitting on a podcast that he told his players “losing is our best option” in the hunt for a better draft pick.
“I think [whether to tank or not] is also a fair question for a fan. They don’t own the team. They’re not the general manager. Those questions are for those guys. And also, it starts with the player,” Kidd explained. “I think Luka answered that question loud and clear yesterday, he said he was playing. Nobody came to him to sit and I think that just shows the character of who he is. He believes — everybody in that locker room still believes — we still have a chance …”
Along with missing the playoffs, the Mavericks currently have the No. 10 slot in the draft lottery and as a result of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, Dallas still owes a top-10 protected 2023 No. 1 pick to the Knicks.
In other words, if Dallas’ pick is inside the top 10 of the 2023 draft, it’s theirs, but if it’s outside of those restraints, it belongs to the Knicks.
The NBA seems to want to get to bottom of it all now.
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