There was a time when Mark Cuban was one of the most hands-on owners in the NBA.
But times have changed and his Dallas Mavericks made a huge transformation this season and he’s not 100 percent happy about it.
Cuban recently talked about the Luka Doncic trade that altered the Mavericks and he made it clear that it wouldn’t have happened on his watch.
“If I had any influence, the trade wouldn’t happen. I was just as dumbfounded as everybody else. After I sold the Mavericks, the new owner Patrick Dumont decided that ‘Ok, in Nico we trust.’ So, here we are,” Cuban said, per NBACentral.
“If I had any influence, the trade wouldn't happen. I was just as dumbfounded as everybody else. After I sold the Mavericks, the new owner Patrick Dumont decided that 'Ok, in Nico we trust.' So, here we are.”
– @mcuban on Luka
(h/t @KirkSeriousFace)
pic.twitter.com/JbMhUzjKkZ
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 21, 2025
Cuban sold his majority ownership of the Mavericks recently, which means he doesn’t get a say in the team’s trades and choices.
If he still held a majority stake, he would have quickly vetoed the Doncic trade that sent him to Los Angeles in exchange for Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a first-round draft pick.
There have been many reports about the Doncic trade and most of them suggest that general manager Nico Harrison was ready to move on from the star player.
He reportedly had his heart set on parting ways with Doncic, but if Cuban was still the owner of the team he could have stopped him.
Now Cuban is just like the rest of the Mavericks fanbase and is sitting, watching, and hoping things get better for his team.
The post-Doncic era hasn’t gotten off to a great start, but there is a chance things improve in the offseason, with some trades and the recovery of Davis and Kyrie Irving.
Cuban doesn’t like this trade and what it did to his team, but he has to accept it, like all Mavericks fans.
NEXT: Anthony Davis Could Be Nearing An NBA Return