Mavericks part owner Mark Cuban denies the franchise purposely tanked last year to punish the Knicks, he told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post.
By avoiding the play-in tournament last season, the Mavericks were able to retain a lottery pick, rather than conveying their pick to the Knicks as final compensation for the Kristaps Porzingis trade. Dallas used the pick on Dereck Lively. The Mavs will compensate the Knicks this year with their pick all the way down at No. 24.
Dallas lost Jalen Brunson in free agency in 2022 to the Knicks, who were later penalized a draft pick for tampering.
“I’m not a revenge guy,” Cuban said, adding, “We never tanked anything. We just decided to play our younger players the last couple of games. But it’s Nico Harrison’s and mine’s and Jason Kidd’s job to make the tough decisions. Nobody who decides to rebuild effectively likes it. When you play your young players, it’s not always fun. So we just felt it was time to go young.”
Cuban later admitted the franchise’s decision to rest key players was not truly a “rebuild” move. “We made the decision 10 other teams made, right?” Cuban said. “We just made it a little bit later. Obviously, it turned out well.”
We have more from the Southwest Division:
- Lottery prospect Nikola Topic has a partially torn ACL. That shouldn’t deter the Spurs, who own two picks in the top 10, from drafting the 18-year-old point guard, LJ Ellis of Spurs Talk opines. From all appearances, the Spurs haven’t shown much interest in Topic but that could be a smokescreen, Ellis notes. With two lottery selections, San Antonio has the luxury of using the latter pick at No. 8 on Topic and waiting for him to heal.
- What players could the Pelicans target with the No. 21 pick? Christian Clark of the New Orleans Times Picayune explores that topic, naming a trio of guards — USC’s Isaiah Collier, Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter and Pittsburgh’s Carlton Carrington — who could entice them at that spot.
- The Spurs and Grizzlies are two of the teams who currently own more than two picks in this month’s draft. Check out the list here.
We didn’t “tank” anything… the guys name is literally Shark Tank give me a break
It’s Mark from Cuba…
Cuban has made a career out of saying silly things without any real purpose. “We just decided to play our younger players the last couple of games.” – Yet, they played lineups of older guys and others that were never going to return. Revenge? For what? Brunson wasn’t going back to DAL regardless of whether the NYK had any interest in him.
But the last part is right. They only did what 9 other teams did, only they waited until there were only 2 games left in the season.
They tanked…are they going to get fined again or something if he out right says it? We know they wanted the pick back. Luka and Kyrie barely had time together last year so a run was not likely.
Of course the Mavs tanked at the end of last season. Even though I’m a Knicks fan, I don’t blame the Mavs for doing so. Keeping a better pick in a better draft is smart smart business, and DL3 has obviously had an impact on this finals run.
I think the word tank has become the most overused and obnoxious words in sports. The were in the western conference finals the year before. They weren’t “tanking” coming into last year. They had one of the best players in the world. They literally traded for another star at the deadline to try to make a playoff push. What team that is “tanking” does that? Why can’t anyone answer that? They sat guys and played younger guys the last 2 out of 82 games of the season or 3% of the season. Which in case you just started watching sports 6 weeks ago multiple teams do that in all sports every single year. Anybody who calls what they did “tanking” is obviously not very bright and just needs something to cry about.
It was Kyrie Irving…
Who had laid waste to team cultures in
Boston and Brooklyn before the trade…
There are many ways to tank… Including taking on large salaries for players in their 30s…
Yep tanked all the way to the finals. You had to realize before you hit post how ridiculous you sound right? Like zero perspective almost as if you have no idea what you are talking about. Even dumber than the repeated “mark from Cuba” stupidity.
Hindsight perspective is 20-20, it doesn’t change the fact the Mavs took on a player who had destroyed 2 locker rooms before that trade…
However the team isn’t in the finals because of Kyrie…
The team is there because of Luka and the defensive players brought in at the trade deadline…
Kyrie has 6 30 point games this postseason and more often than not has been the catalyst or closer in the second half of games this postseason. You said I made a fool out of myself below after you said this nonsense? Hahaha either get a clue or stop embarrassing yourself by posting.
Right, which is why they got him at a discounted price. It was an opportunistic move. A Kyrie without baggage is worth a lot more than he was moved for.
I wouldn’t consider a calculated gamble a tank move, especially considering the limited options that had to make a big move at the time.
Well, it WAS tanking, so ahead and give me nd 98% of the population the dunce hat. Clearly, you don’t even know the story of what actually happened.
People were pissed because the Mavs threw away a legitimate shot at the playoffs in order to tank those last two games for the pick. That is way worse than a rebuilding team trading away assets to be bad or a bad team playing young players down the stretch. A team with Luka Doncic and which had traded for Kyrie Irving actually tanked away the playoffs.
Was it the right move? I guess. Do I understand the long term thinking? Sure. But that level of anti-competitiveness rightfully leaves a bad taste in the mouths of sports fans.
Well put…
I’m a Mavs fan so I know exactly what happened but thanks for your inaccurate and condescending remark.
Obviously my point flew right over your head. Not surprising.
The season before they were in the western conference finals. They were absolutely coming into the season hoping to compete not to “tank” they traded assets for a star to make a playoff push. What kind of team that is trying to “tank” does that? Please give me an answer to that question since you have all the answers.
In all sports teams play younger guys at the end of the year when their hopes for a championship are lost. Why would it be worse to play younger guys the last two games instead of all season? Because you say so? That doesn’t make it true and it’s illogical. This is nothing new the only thing new is how many people complain about stuff these days. Is this really the first time you have seen teams play younger guys in sports? Seriously? Would they have been better off getting waxed in the play in game? I love how you said “I guess” to if it was the right move. You guess?! Seriously? At the time it was OBVIOUSLY the right decision and has only been proven more as time goes by. To all the people like you that it “left a bad taste in your mouth” I don’t know what to tell you except it’s well past time to grow up and get over it.
Lol so many nonsensical words to try and tell someone else to grow up and get over it.
And, no, when you ignore someone else’s valid point and continue to push your own narrative without even addressing it, you aren’t worthy of additional keyword space. Continue to be deluded as you want, I couldn’t care less.
That’s probably the response I would have if I just got made a fool out of and couldn’t answer the questions without making my points look foolish “You aren’t worth it” haha I commend you for that. A weaker person would have doubled down on their ignorance. Obviously this isn’t your first rodeo when it comes to being off base and not having a leg to stand on.
Isn’t he the minority owner? Never hear other minority owners speak
Getting Lively, the pick. Was the right move. Tanking is part of rebuilding. Just remember nothing is guaranteed. Still have to make right pick. And help him to help your team.
Mavs rebuilt Knicks. Took KP and money. So we could sign Randle. We had picks. And were able to sign Brunson..
Thank you Mark Cuban ….
Honestly at the time I thought it was a trade that would benefit both teams. The Mavs got Dinwiddie back for KP who was a big part of their run to the WCF and was a piece moved for Kyrie. Hard to cut losses better than that. I think both teams are happy where they are at currently and in the future. At the end of the day the Knicks got a return for KP that warrants a second best player on a team. I think we can see now KP is better suited being a 3rd or 4th best player on a contending team but not a guy to carry you night in and night out.