Mark Cuban rants about why NBA must ’embrace tanking’

Although he may not be the majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks anymore, Mark Cuban is still viewed as a prominent voice in league circles. He is still a minority owner of the team, and Cuban, like so many other executives and owners, is trying to figure out what the NBA will do about the tanking problem that has captivated everyone’s attention at this point in the 2025-26 season.

No matter how you feel about tanking, it has always existed in the NBA. Quite honestly, it exists in almost every professional sport, as teams always want to set themselves up for the most future success by adding the best, high-level talent via the draft. That is what is happening in the NBA, especially this season since the 2026 NBA Draft has a chance to be historic with the talent entering the league.

The NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver are taking the tanking problems very seriously, which is why both the Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers have already received hefty fines. More changes are to come regarding the NBA’s tanking rules, yet Cuban is on the opposite side from Silver in the sense that he believes tanking is something the league needs to embrace.

“The NBA has been misguided thinking that fans want to see their teams compete every night with a chance to win. It’s never been that way,” Cuban wrote in a long dissertation on social media Tuesday morning. “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… Fans know their team can’t win every game. They know only one team can win a ring. What fans that care about their team’s record want is hope.

“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 three when you tank.”

Cuban certainly isn’t wrong in his case for the league to embrace tanking, as he and many other owners share similar remarks in terms of looking ahead to the future success of the NBA and their franchises.

Tanking for a year or two can easily result in a team becoming a true championship contender, and if anyone needs any proof of this, simply look at where the Oklahoma City Thunder were five to six years ago versus where they are now.

Even with teams tanking and trying to lose games, the NBA is still in a great place because of the talent that exists and how competitive these games are. As Cuban alludes to, the league shouldn’t focus on teams tanking, but rather on the “affordability and quality” of the games.

That is what truly matters to fans, especially since many complain that the prices to see their favorite teams and players are too high.

After his initial post on Tuesday morning, Cuban expanded his thoughts with a second post discussing why tanking is worse this season compared to previous years and how the league’s new apron and tax penalties impact an organization’s decision to tank.

“With two max (contract) guys you better be trying to go deep in the playoffs,” Cuban wrote. “(If) one of your two max guys underperforms or get hurt, now you are struggling. You hope your injured player comes back before you are out of it. If he can’t. The only smart thing to do is tank. It’s the only way to really improve your team since you are at or near the second apron.”

Cuban also stated how valuable rookie contracts are in the league today because of all the apron rules, as well as how franchises can’t tell the truth to their fans because the NBA will simply fine them for blatantly saying that they aren’t good enough to win.

The NBA finds itself in a tricky situation when it comes to tanking, and this topic will continue to be at the forefront of conversation surrounding the league through the end of the 2025-26 season.