DALLAS — Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this article.
The NBA has fined the Dallas Mavericks $750,000 for "violating the league's player resting policy," the league announced Friday.
The league said in a statement that the Mavericks "demonstrated through actions and public statements the organizations desire to lose the [Chicago Bulls] game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft."
The NBA did, however, state that the league did not find the players who participated in the game were not playing to win. When Dallas was scheduled to play Chicago on April 7, the team was not mathematically eliminated from the playoffs. The Mavericks initially had no players ruled out for the game against the Bulls that morning, but later on ruled out five players: Kyrie Irving and Tim Hardaway Jr. and key reserves Josh Green, Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood.
Superstar guard Luka Doncic played only the first quarter and one play in the second quarter before he was subbed out.
Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the game that the decision to sit players was made by “the organization,” and referenced it being made by his bosses — owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison — after the game as well.
The Mavericks lost their final game, too, against the San Antonio Spurs, resting even more players than the Bulls game. In the end, the Mavericks did end up keeping their first-round pick, which was destined for the New York Knicks had they not finished in the bottom 10 records in the league.
This isn’t the first time the Mavericks have caught the NBA’s eye when it comes to tanking.
The NBA fined Cuban $600,000 in February 2018 for comments about tanking during a podcast with Basketball Hall of Fame player Julius Erving, which Commissioner Adam Silver called “public statements detrimental to the NBA.”
Later, Cuban acknowledged to The Associated Press that he “earned” the fine. “I got excited talking to Dr. J and said something I shouldn’t have,” he told the AP at the time.
The Mavs finished the 2023 season with a 38-44 record. They'll have a 4.5% chance of winning the lottery and getting the opportunity to select French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
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