The Dallas Mavericks entered Friday night's matchup with the Chicago Bulls in a must-win situation, just one loss away from being eliminated from postseason contention.
Naturally, they made Kyrie Irving, Josh Green, Tim Hardaway Jr., Maxi Kleber and Christian Wood all inactive entering the contest and sat Luka Doncic after the first possession of the second quarter. As its top five points per game leaders all watched from the bench, Dallas narrowly dropped the contest, 115-112.
Though it hasn't been proven yet, many -- including the NBA -- believed the display to be a blatant example of tanking. In fact, it was so bad that the league is launching an investigation.
"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," NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement Saturday, per Tim MacMahon of ESPN.
So, why would the Mavericks intentionally lose with a playoff spot on the line? The Mavericks' first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is top-10 protected, meaning two losses in the final pair of games this season gives them a better chance of keeping the selection and not forfeiting it to the New York Knicks.
While the NBA likely would only fine the Mavericks for their transgressions, bigger problems may be on the horizon. There reportedly is "fear" that Doncic could request a trade this summer, putting a damper on their plans to keep he and Irving together.
No matter what happens, it can be said their trade for Irving has been a total disaster. If only anyone could have seen that coming.
