Rumors of Mark Cuban looking to buy the Dallas Mavericks back from Patrick Dumont with an investor group surfaced on Monday, as NBA insider Marc Stein reported this, and it may be the one move that the Mavericks need to bring Luka Doncic back to Big D. The past year just keeps getting crazier in Dallas, and Cuban purchasing the team again would be another insane chapter in this saga.
Dumont's journey as the majority Mavericks owner has been filled with controversy and heartbreak for the fan base, as they traded the one player whom the entire city rallied behind to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Outside of Dirk Nowitzki, there had never been another player like Doncic. Dallas would've crumbled into one of the worst teams in the NBA if they hadn't won the lottery and selected Cooper Flagg, and Cuban buying the team back would make the Mavericks a prime destination for Doncic if he leaves the Lakers.
Mark Cuban is the secret ingredient for Luka Doncic's return
Nico Harrison is gone, and Cuban and Doncic clearly still have an excellent relationship. Cuban is one of the few Mavericks employees that Doncic goes out of his way to see following games between Dallas and the Los Angeles Lakers, and he obviously wasn't part of the decision-making process that sent Doncic to Los Angeles.
Cuban has made it clear multiple times that he never would've traded Doncic, and this loyalty from the minority owner could lead to him returning to Dallas if Cuban does indeed purchase the team from Dumont.
Mavericks fans have been dreaming about Luka Doncic returning to Dallas since the moment that he was traded to the Lakers just over one year ago, and they may finally have their wish granted in a few years.
Doncic is under contract with the Lakers until at least the end of the 2027-28 season, as he has a player option for the 2028-29 season. He would likely opt out at this point in an effort to receive a new contract from Los Angeles or a different team, and Cuban is exactly who the Mavs need in charge to bring the Slovenian superstar home.
Cuban makes his star players feel like royalty, and the Mavericks would feel like an entirely different organization if he retakes his spot as the team's majority owner. He is still involved in some of the basketball decisions in Dallas despite not being the primary owner anymore, but him taking full rein once again would change everything for the Mavericks.
The stain of the Luka Doncic trade would be completely removed from the organization, as Patrick Dumont ultimately signed off on this trade and roasted Doncic afterward, and the Mavs may even get lucky enough to lure him back to the Mavericks.
Doncic likely wouldn't ever return to Dallas if Dumont were still in charge, but it would be a completely different ball game if Cuban owned the team again. He spent the majority of his Mavericks career with Cuban as his owner, and he knows how much he means to him.
A lot would have to happen to even make this possibility a reality, as Doncic may not even become a free agent, and Dumont may not even want to sell the team, but the rumors are at least intriguing. Dumont could sell the team to Cuban, buy an expansion team one day, and Doncic would return to the team that he thought he would spend his entire career playing for.
The entire city of Dallas would welcome Doncic back with open arms, and Mavericks fans would be more engaged than ever before.