Mark Cuban: NBA Should Embrace Tanking, Warns of ‘Much Bigger’ League Issue
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Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said the NBA ought to stop fighting “tanking” and instead acknowledge it as part of the league’s competitive landscape. Speaking on Feb. 17, 2026, Cuban argued that deliberately losing games to improve draft position is “something we should embrace, not punish.”
Cuban added that tanking is “not even close” to the NBA’s most pressing challenge, asserting that another, larger problem threatens the league’s long-term health. He did not elaborate on that concern during his remarks.
The billionaire owner has long been outspoken about the NBA’s competitive structure. In 2018, the league fined him $600,000 for publicly admitting the Mavericks were better off losing games late in the season to improve lottery odds. Despite that penalty, Cuban has consistently defended the strategy, arguing that current incentives make it a rational choice for struggling teams.
The NBA has introduced draft-lottery reforms and instituted play-in tournaments in recent years to discourage late-season losing, but Cuban said those steps fail to address what he considers the underlying realities of roster building. “You can’t tell teams to compete at all costs when the system rewards losses,” he said.
League officials did not immediately respond to Cuban’s latest comments.
Source: New York Post
