The Mavericks drew the ire of the NBA last week after opting to rest key starters in their penultimate game of the season, a three-point loss to the Bulls.
The majority of starters sat out while Luka Doncic played just 13 minutes, a seemingly bizarre choice given the fact that Dallas still found itself in contention for a spot in the NBA's play-in tournament.
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It prompted an NBA investigation. After taking the time to gather all the facts, the league on Friday fined Mavs $750,000 for "conduct detrimental to the league."
"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 following was released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/t92m7uPKR1
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 14, 2023
Here's what you need to know about the Mavs' decision and the league's response:
Why were the Mavericks fined $750,000 for resting their starters?
The league found that Dallas deliberately sat players vs. Chicago on April 7, indicating a desire to lose the game and improve its odds of keeping their first-round selection in this year's NBA Draft. The Mavericks sent their 2023 first-rounder to the Knicks when they acquired Kristaps Porzingis in 2019, but the pick also carried top-10 protection. If the pick were to fall from 1 to 10, the Mavs would retain it rather than send it to New York.
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A 115-112 defeat ensured that Dallas would miss the playoffs, thereby improving the team's chances of keeping their selection. Players rested included Kyrie Irving (right foot injury recovery), Maxi Kleber (right hamstring injury recovery), Christian Wood (rest) and Josh Green (rest).
"The Dallas Mavericks' decision to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport," NBA executive vice president Joe Dumars said in a statement. "The Mavericks' actions failed our fans and our league."
The league determined that the players who took part in the game weren't in on the tanking plot.
"The league did not find that the players who participated in the game were not playing to win," the NBA's statement read.
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Dallas led 96-85 two minutes into the fourth quarter before being outscored 30-16 over the rest of the period. McKinley Wright missed a desperation 3-point attempt that could have tied the game with two seconds remaining.
After dropping their final two games of the season (they also lost on April 9 in their season finale vs. the Spurs), the Mavericks have an 80 percent chance of keeping their selection. Maybe cheaters do prosper, after all.
