NBA Commissioner Defends Mavs Fine, Stealing Knicks Pick

The pick the Dallas Mavericks used to obtain Dereck Lively II nearly went to the New York Knicks.

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) and forward P.J. Washington (25) react in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

NBA commissioner Adam Silver remains fine with the fine assessed to the Dallas Mavericks in the name of tanking to keep a protected draft pick away from the New York Knicks.

The Mavericks are making late spring headlines for different reasons this time around, as they're repping the Western Conference in the ongoing NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics. At this time last year, Dallas' activities carried an aura of suspicion thanks to a tanking effort supposedly spearheaded by then-principal owner Mark Cuban. Intentional late losses put the Mavericks in position to draft rookie contributor Dereck Lively II with the 12th overall pick.

Dallas was fined $750,000 for keeping healthy starters out of their final regular season games, passing on a chance to leap into the Western Conference Play-In Tournament. Silver defended that decision during his annual pre-Finals address on Thursday night.

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Dallas Mavericks center Dereck Lively II (2) reacts in the third quarter against the Boston Celtics during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

"In terms of what Dallas did last year, we sanctioned them. We did what we thought was appropriate at the time," Silver said, per reporting from the Associated Press. "I would only say that the success they saw this season, that they're now seeing in the playoffs and here they are at the finals, I don't attribute it to one draft pick, as important as that draft pick has been to their team."

Dallas' decision to forego a postseason trip came at the expense of the Knicks: had the Mavericks reached the Play-In, their regularly scheduled first-round pick in 2023 would've transferred to New York as it carried top 10 protection. The pick was the final part of the 2019 trade that sent former Knicks franchise face Kristaps Porzginis to North Texas.

Jun 22, 2023; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Dereck Lively (Kentucky) is greeted by NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected twelfth by the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft at Barclays Arena. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports / Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

Said to be further peeved about the Knicks' tampering into free agent negotiations for Jalen Brunson, Dallas thus rested healthy men for its final two regular season games, losing them both to place 11th in the West. The lack of leaping in the early stages of the 2023 Draft Lottery gave the Mavericks the 10th pick, which was originally used on Kentucky point guard Cason Wallace before it was dealt to Oklahoma City. The Thunder sent back the rights to the No. 12 pick Lively, setting the stage for this ongoing Finals un.

The 19-year-old out of Duke has been one of the more intriguing freshmen of the 2023-24 season, winning Second Team All-Rookie honors and averaging 8.8 points and 7.1 rebounds off the bench in 17 postseason appearances. Firmly entrenched in the playoff picture this time around, Dallas has since sent its 2024 first-rounder to the Knicks to finally close the Porzingis deal. That choice will be the 25th overall selection in Brooklyn later this month.

While Silver does seem to believe that a fine was the appropriate punishment for the Mavericks, he did admit the league will "continue to look at" pick protection procedures and more anti-tanking strategies when asked about the situation by John Hollinger of The Athletic. (h/t New York Basketball on X)

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