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NBA fans are not happy with Mavs owner Mark Cuban.
With two games left in the regular season and a chance to make the play-in game, the Mavs made the mind-boggling decision to sit out most of their roster, including Luka Doncic.
Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Christian Wood, Maxi Kleber and Tim Hardaway will be out for tonight’s Bulls game, the Mavs announced. Luka Doncic is probable.
Dallas needs two wins and an OKC loss Sunday to get to 10th in the West and make the play-in.
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) April 7, 2023
Sources: Luka Doncic will sit out after the first quarter tonight vs. the Bulls.
Five key Mavs, including Kyrie Irving, were ruled out this morning.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 7, 2023
According to ESPN’s Tim McMahon, the Mavs decided to start tanking about a week ago to keep their top 10 protected pick and possibly have a shot to draft Victor Wembanyama
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If Dallas stands pat with 10th-best lottery odds … Mavs would have a 76.3% chance of keeping their top-10-protected pick this year, a 13.9% chance of moving into the top 4 and a 3% chance of winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 3, 2023
If Dallas stands pat with 10th-best lottery odds … Mavs would have a 76.3% chance of keeping their top-10-protected pick this year, a 13.9% chance of moving into the top 4 and a 3% chance of winning the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 3, 2023
Jason Kidd: “We were fighting for our lives, and understanding this is a situation we’re in, but the organization has made the decision to change.”
ESPN story on the Mavs’ final-week transition to tanking: https://t.co/DmH2xKu0kB
— Tim MacMahon (@espn_macmahon) April 8, 2023
Cuban didn’t hide the fact that the team was tanking.
Via ESPN
Mavs governor Mark Cuban, who paid a $600,000 fine in 2018 for publicly admitting the Mavs were tanking, said Wednesday night that “of course I understand” the thought process from fans that protecting the lottery position is Dallas’ smartest strategy down the stretch.
“The guys don’t wanna do that,” Cuban said. “Players aren’t gonna do that. Players don’t do that.”
Kidd said the decision was made by Cuban and Mavs general manager Nico Harrison. He said he was not involved in the decision-making process.
Angry fans blasted Cuban’s decision to tank despite the fact the team was mathematically alive to make the play-in game.
The Mavs have something to play for.
Luka Doncic wants to play.
The Mavs said “Nah.”
Someone make this make sense. Otherwise, it’s not gonna be a surprise when Doncic is the next guy who wants a trade.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) April 8, 2023
If Adam Silver had any balls, he’d strip the Mavs of their draft picks anyway. Creates a 10 team playoff to make a meaningless regular season kind of meaningful and a team one game out tanks on final weekend. Absolute hilarity
— Stuckey (@Stuckey2) April 8, 2023
Wow the Mavs traded Finney-Smith, Dinwiddie and a 2029 unprotected first so they could go in a complete tailspin and tank the last 2 games of the season. I’m almost in awe! Do I have to bring back the Atrocious GM Summit?
— Bill Simmons (@BillSimmons) April 7, 2023