Mark Cuban Talks Why NBA Must ‘Embrace Tanks’

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

Regardless of how you feel about the tank, it has always existed in the NBA. Frankly, it exists in almost every professional sport, as teams are always looking to set themselves up for the greatest future success by adding the best high-level talent through the draft. That’s what’s happening in the NBA, especially this season as the 2026 NBA Draft has a chance to be historic with the talent entering the league.

The NBA and commissioner Adam Silver take tanking issues very seriously, which is why they are both The Utah Jazz and Indiana Pacers have already received hefty fines. There are more changes to come regarding the NBA’s tanking rules, but Cuban is on the opposite side of the silver lining in that he believes tanking is a thing in the league should be embraced.

“The NBA was deluded into thinking that fans wanted to see their teams compete every night with a chance to win. It was never the case,” Cuban wrote in a lengthy rant on social media Tuesday morning. “When I got into the NBA, they thought they were in the basketball business. They’re not. They’re in the business of creating experiences for the fans. … Fans know their team can’t win every game. They know only one team can win a ring. What fans who care about their team’s record want is hope.

“One way to approach that is through the draft. And trades. And cap space. You have a better chance of improving through all three when you’re struggling.”

Cuban is certainly not wrong in his case for the league embracing the tanks, as he and many other owners share similar reservations about looking ahead to the future success of the NBA and their franchises.

A tank for a year or two can easily make a team a true champion, and if anyone needs any proof of this, just look at where the Oklahoma City Thunder were five to six years ago compared to now.

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

This is what really matters to fans, especially since many complain that the prices to watch their favorite teams and players are too high.

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

“With two max (contract) guys you better try to go deep into the playoffs,” Cuban wrote. “(If) one of your two max guys fails or gets hurt, you fight now. You hope your injured player comes back before you’re out of it. If he can’t. The only smart thing to do is fight. That’s the only way to really improve your team since you’re on or near the second apron.”

Cuban also brought up how valuable new contracts are in the league today because of all the rules, and how franchises can’t tell their fans the truth because the NBA will simply punish them for openly saying they’re not good enough to win.

The NBA is located in a awkward situation when it comes to tankingand the topic will continue to be at the forefront of league conversations until the end of the 2025-26 season.