Tanking 101: MavsBoard’s Guide to the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery

The Mavs’ 24-52 record isn’t exactly a badge of honor, but it’s a strategic play for the 2026 NBA Draft. As the season winds down, MavsBoard is buzzing with debates on tanking, draft odds, and which prospects to covet.

Q: What’s the deal with our lottery odds?

The Mavs are currently tied with the Memphis Grizzlies, and their lottery odds are a hot topic. DanSchwartzgan broke down the numbers:

“The lottery odds between the two tied teams are split (take the ping pong balls for both and split them equally). The coin flip establishes the order if neither of the tied teams moves up.”

Q: Should we tank the last game?

Some fans, like Dirknows, think the Mavs should prioritize winning:

“Cooper got his 33 in a loss, so that’s a positive. This Bulls game is gonna be a brutal product on the court.”

But others, like michaeltex, advocate for resting starters:

“Apparently Coop is now on the injury report. If I was Kidd, I’d sit the starters (send them on to DAL even), play #10-15 off the bench, add in the 2-ways and sign on a couple of 10 days to play against SAN.”

Q: Who are we rooting for in the tanking wars?

The Utah Jazz and Memphis Grizzlies are in a tanking showdown, with the Grizzlies resting almost their entire team. Chicagojk on the implications:

“Memphis vs Utah may be the game of the year tonight. Memphis is pulling out all the stops by resting almost the whole team. Memphis is tied with Dallas and one game in front of New Orleans.”

Q: What are our chances of landing a top pick?

DanSchwartzgan crunched the numbers:

“Top 4 Pick: 37.2% (6th Worst), 34.6% (Tie 6/7), 31.9% (7th Worst), 29.8% (Tie 7/8)“

Q: Which prospects are we eyeing?

The conversation didn’t explicitly mention specific prospects, but fans are undoubtedly excited about the potential for a top pick. Dirknows jokingly predicted:

“Top-4 pick incoming.”

Q: Is the lottery rigged?

RasheedsBigWhiteSpot poked fun at the idea:

“Now let’s lose on Sunday and start practicing our coin flips!”

The debate rages on, but one thing’s for sure – Mavs fans are eager to see their team rise to the top, whether through tanking or competitive basketball. As Scott41theMavs said:

“May it be so re: moving up. And by the way, I absolutely agree that if the lottery is fixed in any way, the Mavs will move up.”

Community Contributors

Thanks to these MavsBoard members whose posts contributed to this article:

Read the Full Discussions

This article is curated from community discussions on MavsBoard Forum. Join the community and share your take!