Marc Stein dropped a massive scoop about the Dallas Mavericks and Mark Cuban that seemingly has Tim Cowlishaw laughing.
Let’s face it, things haven’t gone well for the Mavericks since Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont purchased a majority stake in the franchise from Cuban in late 2023. They advanced to the 2024 NBA Finals before controversially trading Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. And now they’ve already traded Davis to the Washington Wizards for 50 cents on the dollar. Yes, they have Cooper Flagg, but their other decisions have Stephen A. Smith wondering whether the current ownership is gearing up to move the team to Las Vegas.
Amid the conspiracies surrounding the Mavericks and their current ownership, NBA insider Marc Stein reported an “unidentified Dallas investor group” is interested in partnering with Cuban to buy the team back from Adelson and Dumont. Currently, Cuban still holds about a 27% stake in the Mavericks, but Adelson and Dumont also hold an option to buy an additional 20% from the former majority owner. Cowlishaw, however, doesn’t seem to believe there is any truth to the report from his former colleague at The Dallas Morning News.
It’s silliness. Maybe it makes Cuban look heroic to some, thinking it’s really going to happen. Maybe that why his mouthpiece wrote it. https://t.co/c9Dvjzr6bl
— Tim Cowlishaw (@TimCowlishaw) February 9, 2026
“It’s silliness. Maybe it makes Cuban look heroic to some, thinking it’s really going to happen,” Cowlishaw posted on X. “Maybe that why his mouthpiece wrote it.”
Stein and Cuban reportedly have a strong relationship, although Cuban once revoked Stein’s credentials while the reporter was still at ESPN back in 2016. Apparently, their relationship has improved since then, enough for Cowlishaw to believe Stein is now just a mouthpiece for Cuban.
It’s hard to imagine a world where Cuban repurchases the Mavericks just a few years after selling off 72.3% of the franchise for $3.5 billion. There’s a lot that goes into these deals, and new owners typically don’t renege on their investment this quickly. And unless Adelson and Dumont are blown away with an offer worth five or six billion dollars, they probably aren’t looking to sell before exhausting all options in trying to achieve their goal of building a new destination resort, casino, and arena in Dallas.
Despite the improbability of Cuban regaining control of the Mavericks, calling Stein a “mouthpiece” is disrespectful to his career. As unlikely as a sale back to Cuban might be, it’s not crazy to believe investors have at least explored the idea, especially as the Mavericks’ current owners continue to fall out of favor with the fanbase. And if Stein has that information, it’s a worthwhile story, as proved by the massive reaction it sparked.