Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban took to social media to defend NBA teams that intentionally lose games to improve draft position. Cuban criticized the league's recent fines against teams for tanking, arguing the NBA should focus more on fan affordability than game integrity concerns.
Dallas Mavericks minority owner Mark Cuban posted extensive comments on social media Tuesday defending the controversial practice of NBA teams intentionally losing games to secure better draft positions, while blasting the league’s recent disciplinary actions against franchises suspected of tanking.
Cuban’s lengthy social media statements came just three days after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed potential changes to the draft lottery system and mentioned the possibility of taking away draft picks from offending teams.
Last week, Silver announced a $500,000 penalty against Utah after the Jazz benched key players Lauri Markkanen and Jaren Jackson Jr. during the final quarter of their defeat to Orlando. The commissioner warned the league “would respond accordingly to any further actions that compromise the integrity of our games.”
Cuban fired back at Silver’s stern warning with pointed criticism of the league’s approach.
“The worst that the NBA dishes out is that if you don’t lie to your fans about what you are doing, even though it’s obvious to them, you get fined,” Cuban wrote. “And (they) threaten you with losing picks.”
Kevin Pritchard, Indiana’s basketball operations president, joined the conversation after his Pacers received a $100,000 fine alongside Utah for roster management decisions. Pritchard asked fans on social media whether they supported Cuban’s position, and most responded affirmatively.
Indiana advanced to the NBA Finals last season before falling to Oklahoma City. Star player Tyrese Haliburton suffered an Achilles injury in Game 7 and is expected to miss the entire 2025-26 campaign. The Pacers stumbled through their first 13 games with 12 losses and endured a 13-game skid that left them at 6-31, though they’ve played .500 basketball since.
Dallas faces comparable circumstances one year after sending generational talent Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for frequently injured center Anthony Davis, just nine months following the Mavericks’ Finals appearance.
Davis spent more time injured than playing for Dallas before being dealt to Washington at this year’s trade deadline, completing the franchise’s retreat from the unsuccessful Doncic transaction. The organization had already dismissed general manager Nico Harrison in November, the architect of the Doncic trade.
Despite having only a 1.8% lottery probability, Dallas secured the top overall selection to draft former Duke standout Cooper Flagg this past summer.
Flagg represents the franchise’s future cornerstone, while the Mavericks must soon determine whether nine-time All-Star Kyrie Irving will see any action this season. Irving tore his ACL in March, and Dallas entered the All-Star break mired in a nine-game losing streak, their longest drought in nearly three decades.
Though Cuban no longer holds decision-making authority after relinquishing majority ownership, the league previously fined him $600,000 during the 2022-23 season for publicly acknowledging Dallas was tanking to preserve a first-round selection. That strategy ultimately netted center Dereck Lively II, a talented prospect who has battled injury issues.
As tanking discussions resurface, Cuban opened his social media post with “Why the NBA should embrace tanking,” arguing that supporters don’t object to the strategy because it provides optimism for franchise improvement.
“Few can remember the score from the last game they saw or went to,” Cuban wrote. “They can’t remember the dunks or shots. What they remember is who they were with. Their family, friends, a date. That’s what makes the experience special.”
Given this perspective, Cuban suggested the league should prioritize affordability over integrity concerns surrounding tanking.
“The NBA should worry more about fan experience than tanking,” he wrote. “It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking.”
While Dallas wasn’t formally accused of tanking during the 2017-18 season, Cuban’s post essentially confirmed they employed the strategy. The Mavericks posted their worst record in three decades at 24-58 but didn’t benefit from lottery luck like this year. Dallas received the fifth selection and had to make trades to move up and select Doncic.
“We didn’t tank often,” wrote Cuban, who also highlighted how current salary cap regulations have increased the value of productive rookie contracts for competitive teams. “Only a few times over 23 years, but when we did, our fans appreciated it. And it got us to where we could improve, trade up to get Luka and improve our team.”