The NBA is investigating the Dallas Mavericks after the team chose to sit multiple key players in its loss to the Chicago Bulls on Friday.
Head coach Jason Kidd said before the game that it was an “organizational decision” to sit guard Kyrie Irving and four other players, even though the Mavericks were not mathematically eliminated from playoff contention.
All-Star guard Luka Dončić played 13 minutes and scored 13 points in the 115-112 loss. He did not speak with the media after the game.
"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," a league spokesman said on Saturday.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the No. 10 seed in the Western Conference and will compete in the play-in tournament.
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By missing the postseason, the Mavs could have a top-10 pick in the 2023 draft. That pick would’ve been in jeopardy and possibly been New York’s pick had the Mavs made the postseason. As part of the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to Dallas from the Knicks in 2019, the Mavs gave the Knicks a first-round pick that is protected picks 1-10.
By finishing as one of the 10 worst teams, it’s unlikely the Mavs will fall out of the top 10 in the draft lottery, meaning they would retain their first-round pick in the draft.
Mavericks governor Mark Cuban could be fined if it is determined that the team tanked on purpose. In 2018, Cuban was fined $600,000 for "public statements detrimental to the NBA" after admitting Dallas was losing on purpose.
The 2017-18 team finished 24-58 and in the subsequent draft selected Oklahoma guard Trae Young with the fifth overall pick. Young was then traded to the Atlanta Hawks, who had picked Dončić with the third pick, shipping the Slovenian superstar to the Mavericks.
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