“The Amount of Success This Season…,”- NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Discusses Raising the Mavericks’ Tanking Fine to $750K
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver Gets Real About Limiting Mavericks Fine to $750K for Tanking
NBA commissioner Adam Silver appeared in front of the press before the NBA Finals game 1 between the Boston Celtics and the Dallas Mavericks. Among other things discussed in the press meet, Silver also touched on the controversial tanking incident from last season involving the Mavs.
“In terms of what Dallas did last year, we sanctioned them. We did what we thought was appropriate at the time,” Silver told the media when asked about how the Mavericks’ tanking deprived the Knicks of a draft pick.
At the end of the regular season, the Mavs tanked a loss against the Bulls in April. With the loss, the Dallas side’s hopes of making it to the postseason were vanquished as they finished 11th in the Western Conference table with a 38-44 record.
Later, when an investigation was opened, the Mavs were fined $750,000 for “violating the league’s player resting policy” and “demonstrating a desire to lose the game.”
Despite the fine, the Mavs got what they wished for as their top-10 draft pick was protected due to lottery odds, which otherwise would’ve fallen to the Knicks. Thanks to that, they traded their number 10 pick with the OKC Thunder to acquire their draft pick no.12, Dereck Lively II.
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Mavericks Tanking Paid Off by Securing Dereck Lively II
The Mavs snapped up Dereck Lively II from OKC last summer, and the move has paid dividends. Lively has been an integral part of the Mavs’ setup this season and solves the franchise’s headache for a future Center.