The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that the management of the Dallas Mavericks had been fined $750,000 for the derogatory conduct to the league on April 7 during an elimination game against the Chicago Bulls.
The Mavericks broke the league’s policy on resting players and made it clear, through their actions and public statements, that they wanted to lose the game to increase their chances of retaining their first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. This was a violation of the league’s player resting policy. The league did not conclude that the players who took part in the game were not playing with the intention of winning.
According to Joe Dumars, the Executive Vice President of the National Basketball Association and the Head of Basketball Operations, The decision by the Dallas Mavericks to restrict key players from fully participating in an elimination game last Friday against Chicago undermined the integrity of our sport. The acts of the Mavericks were a disservice to our fans and our league.
