2018 Tanking Rankings: Memphis Grizzlies and NBA’s Best of the Worst

3. Dallas Mavericks

Suffice to say the Mavericks had far more serious problems than a bad basketball team come to light this year. The shameful culture of sexual harrassment that plagued their offices for years became public, staining an otherwise forgettable season.

Even though the bar wasn’t very high, the Mavericks still craftily weaved their way elite lottery odds, perhaps as underdogs against teams like Chicago and Sacramento.

Next: Takeaways from the season

There’s a tendency to assume that a Rick Carlisle team does things by design. So when JJ Barea is playing 23mpg, and Salah Mejri (whose 5.3 DBPM would’ve led the NBA among qualified players) only 12, there’s probably something behind it. Or when Dallas posts the league’s ninth-worst net rating, but ties for its third-worst record, suggesting a couple “close losses”.

Where the Mavs really scored high was their league-low $85.9 million payroll, saving as much as $34 million vs other teams on this list. If Mark Cuban has to field a bad team, he’s certainly not about to shell out for it.

Bonus tank points for cold-bloodedly shunning Nerlens Noel after he signed the qualifying offer, possibly ruining his career in the process. It won’t do Dallas any favors in the court of public opinion (where they could currently use a few freebies), but to make your team worse, it’s a solid move.