Dallas Mavericks fined $750,000 by NBA for roster decision against Bulls
The Dallas Mavericks have found themselves in hot water with the NBA after resting players against the Chicago Bulls on April 7. Heading into the game, there had been much discussion about whether or not the team would shut down Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic given its place in the standings.
After sitting Kyrie Irving, Tim Hardaway Jr, Maxi Kleber, Josh Green and Christian Wood, the Mavericks were hit with a $750,000 fineon Friday. According to the NBA's statement, the decision is considered "conduct detrimental to the league in an elimination game."
Although Luka Doncic did suit up and start, he was removed from the game after one quarter. On Friday, the NBA PR social media account posted about the situation, which in part read:
"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 league did not find that the players who participated in the game were not playing to win.
"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. ... The Mavericks' actions failed our fans and our league."
The following was released by the NBA. https://t.co/t92m7uPKR1
You can see the full statement above.
The Dallas Mavericks' struggles this season, and Luka Doncic's looming decision
This year saw the Dallas Mavericks struggle as they ultimately missed the playoffs and the play-In tournament. Late in the season, there was talk of whether or not the team would shut down stars like Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving given their slide in the standings.
As NBA insider Shams Charania reported:
“I’m told that the organization is seriously considering the possibility of shutting down those three [sic] guys. They have a top 10 protected pick. So being out of the play-in race, it behooves them not to try and keep their pick.”
When Doncic caught wind of the rumors, he quickly shut down the talk. In his eyes, as long as the team had a chance to make the playoffs, he had no plans of sitting out. Dallas was 11th and still in the play-in race when the Mavericks played their second-to-last game on April 7.
Despite that, Doncic revealed that he had been going through his own fair share of struggles off the court, saying:
"It's really frustrating. I think you can see it with me on the court. Sometimes, I don't feel it's me. I'm just being out there, you know? I used to have really fun smiling on court, but it's just been so frustrating for a lot of reasons, not just basketball."
As Doncic said, he's had little more than a few weeks' rest in recent years thanks to his busy schedule. Now, however, with the Mavericks eliminated from the postseason, the hope is that he will be able to work through his burnout ahead of next season.