The Dallas Mavericks were fined $750,000 for “conduct detrimental to the league” after resting All-Star Kyrie Irving and several other key players during a game against Chicago Bull on April 7, the NBA said Friday.
Luka Doncic, the team’s leading scorer for the season, played only in the first quarter of the game.
“The Mavericks violated the league’s player resting policy and demonstrated through actions and public statements the organization’s desire to lose the game in order to improve the chances of keeping its first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft,” the NBA said in a statement.
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“The league did not find that the players who participated in the game were not playing to win,” it added.
On Friday, March 14, the Mavericks sat Irving Maxi Kleber, Christian Wood, and Josh Green in the 115-112 loss to the Bulls despite the team still being in contention for a spot in the Play-In.
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The Mavericks entered the game tied with Chicago for the 10th-best lottery odds in the NBA Draft 2023.
Losing the game and missing the play-in tournament could help to ensure that Dallas has a top-10 draft pick this summer and with it, potentially a chance of winning the lottery and getting the opportunity to select French Phenomenon Victor Wenbanyama.
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Dallas coach Jason Kidd said before the game that the decision to sit players was made by the organization and the game referenced the decision was being made by his bosses – owner Mark Cuban and general manager Nico Harrison.
Dallas had Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr, Maxi Kleber, Josh Green, and Christian Wood all out for that win-or-else game, including Doncic.
It’s the second instance that the Mavericks were fined after a look into potential tanking.
In February 2018, the NBA fined Cuban $600,000 for comments on tanking during a podcast with Basketball Hall of Fame player Julius Erving.
