Mavericks' Mark Cuban Combats NBA Problem That Isn't Tanking

Mark Cuban may be the minority owner of the Dallas Mavericks, but he still has a lot of thoughts about the league and the Mavs. One of the hottest topics since the NBA's trade deadline has been tanking, and what the league can do to stop it.

It's been worse this year than in years past, but this also projects to be one of the best draft classes in recent memory. It's not just that there's one elite prospect; there could be four or five, and the depth is impressive, too.

The NBA fined the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers for tanking by sitting out players when they should've or could've been available. However, that isn't as big a problem as some other things, according to Mark Cuban, who took to X/Twitter (only edited for grammatical reasons).

When I got into the NBA, they thought they were in the basketball business. They aren’t. They are in the business of creating experiences for fans.

Few can remember the score from the last game they saw or went to. They can’t remember the dunks or shots. What they remember is who they were with. Their family, friends, a date. That’s what makes the experience special.

Fans know their team can’t win every game. They know only one team can win a ring. What fan that care about their team’s record want is hope. Hope they will get better and have a chance to compete for the playoffs and then maybe a ring.

The one way to get closer to that is via the draft. And trades. And cap room. You have a better chance of improving via all 3 when you tank.

We didn’t tank often. Only a few times over 23 years, but when we did, our fans appreciated it. And it got us to where we could improve, trade up to get Luka [Doncic], and improve our team.

The NBA should worry more about fan experience than tanking. It should worry more about pricing fans out of games than tanking.

You know who cares the least about tanking, a parent who can't afford to bring their 3 kids to a game and buy their kids a jersey of their fave player

Tanking isn’t the issue. Affordability and quality of game presentation are.
Mark Cuban

Jan 28, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; Mark Cuban watches the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Minnesota Timberwolves at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Mavericks Are One of the Teams Tanking Right Now

The Dallas Mavericks are one of many teams going through the tanking process right now. They just sold off Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards to mainly get future cap relief, but they did get some draft capital as well.

The Mavericks have been slightly more ethical about it, though. They still compete in every game, but they've lost 9 straight games. Kyrie Irving has been out all season, and it was just announced on Wednesday morning that he'll miss the rest, as he works his way back from an ACL injury.

Cooper Flagg is also dealing with an injury, as he missed their last game before the All-Star Break with a midfoot sprain, and was seen in a boot at Duke over the weekend. They won't rush him back.

2026 is the last first-round pick the Mavericks have control over until 2031. And this draft class is too good to not prioritize that pick as much as possible.

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