The Dallas Mavericks’ decision to sit their key players in a 115-112 loss to the Chicago Bulls didn’t sit well with the NBA. According to NBA spokesperson Mike Bass, the league has officially opened an investigation that will look into the details of the Mavs roster and game decisions for Friday night’s game.
The Mavericks needed to get a win against the Bulls in order to remain in the playoff hunt in Western Conference. But instead of getting their best team out there, Dallas opted to sit five of their key players, including star guard Kyrie Irving. The franchise superstar Luka Doncic ended up playing in the first two quarters before being benched for the rest of the game.
The belief around the league is that the Mavericks opted to throw the Bulls game in order to maximize their draft position. Dallas owes this year’s pick to the New York Knicks as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade, but it will only convey if it lands outside the top 10. If the Mavs, currently having 10th-best lottery odds, get a pick that sits in the top 10, they will keep it.
Entering the last game of the regular season, Mavericks is at No. 11 in the West with a 38-43 record. They could slide to No. 12 if they lose against the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday and Utah Jazz win their game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
“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,” Bass told media on Saturday.
