NBA Investigates Mavericks For Possibly Tanking

BYCole BlakePublished on April 08, 20233.2K Views

DALLAS, TX - DECEMBER 14: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts along side team owner Mark Cuban after Doncic was called for a foul against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the second half at American Airlines Center on December 14, 2022 in Dallas, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The NBA is reportedly investigating the Dallas Mavericks for tanking.

The NBA is reportedly launching an investigation into the Dallas Mavericks regarding questionable roster decisions the team made for Friday night's 115-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls. The result eliminated them from Western Conference play-in contention.

"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 spokesperson Mike Bass said Saturday afternoon.

Mark Cuban On The Sidelines

DALLAS, TEXAS - MARCH 22: Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban reacts during a timeout in the game against the Golden State Warriors at American Airlines Center on March 22, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)

Mavs head coach Jason Kidd described the move as an "organizational decision" after the game. He also said that it isn't an example of his team forfeiting. "It's not so much waving the white flag," Kidd further explained. "It's [that] decisions sometimes are hard in this business. We're trying to build a championship team. With this decision, this is maybe a step back. But hopefully it leads to going forward."

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told Phoenix Suns employees in October that tanking will be a serious issue from now on. "We put teams on notice," he said per ESPN's Baxter Holmes. "We're going to be paying particular attention to the issue this year." The NBA previously fined Mavericks governor Mark Cuban $600,000 for publically admitting to tanking back in 2018. When asked about the idea of tanking, earlier this week, Cuban said: "The guys don't want to do that. Players aren't going to do that. Players don't do that." As it stands, the Mavs owe the New York Knicks a first-round draft pick. However, Dallas can retain it if it's inside the top 10. The pick is the final payment for the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Potentially losing their first-round pick isn't the only worry for the Mavericks. Star guard Luka Doncic is reportedly also considering leaving the organization if the state of the team doesn't improve. Tim MacMahon of ESPN reports that the 24-year-old will leave if the team doesn't start competing for titles by the summer of 2024.

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About The Author

Cole Blake

Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.