Cuban adamant Mavs won't tank this season

Despite ranking dead last in the NBA with a dismal 3-13 record, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says his team won't be tanking in 2016-17.

"Haters gonna hate. We think that you always compete," Cuban told ESPN's Tim MacMahon. "If you're competing when the league is better like it is this year, if you don't do well, you'll be in a position to get a good pick. Which, remember, even if you have the worst record in the NBA, there's a 75 percent chance you're not going to get the top pick."

Even if the Mavericks get lucky and land the No. 1 selection, Cuban doesn't believe this year's draft class possesses any franchise-saving talent.

"The only way you overcome that is to have the ultimate superstar carry you through, and it's tough to draft the ultimate superstar," Cuban said. "I don't see any Shaqs or LeBrons or Tim Duncans in this draft, so I don't think that's the right way to do it. You just ignore the haters, let them bitch, and go about your business."

While Cuban doesn't want the Mavericks to lose games just for the sake of losing, he isn't averse to making a move that would help the team down the road.

"We'll see what happens across the course of the season to see if anybody emerges like that, but I'm not panicking, not rushing to judgment, not pulling the plug, pick a euphemism."