Mark Cuban Spats With Mavs’ Casino Owners, Criticizes Luka Doncic Trade

Billionaire Mark Cuban sold a controlling interest in the NBA Dallas Mavericks last year to the family that owns the Las Vegas Sands casino business. It appears he is not aligned with the team's new controlling owners in 2025. 

On Friday, Cuban addressed the public regarding the Mavs’ trade of superstar Luka Doncic, the NBA's 2024 scoring champion, a five-time NBA All-Star, and five-time All-NBA First Team selection, to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Shark Tank personality and vocal political commentator apparently criticized team General Manager Nico Harrison and those to whom he sold 69% of the franchise.

"If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal,” Cuban said during an interview with WFAA, the Dallas affiliate of ABC.

When asked if he would have swapped Doncic, Cuban replied that he’s “not going there.” "It is of no significance." 

Mavs and Lakers Moving in Opposite Directions 

Prior to trading Luka, the Mavs had a 20/1 chance of winning the NBA Finals. They extended to 66/1 after acquiring Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round selection for Doncic. 

Kyrie Irving, the leading scorer for the Mavs after the recent changes, had his season conclude this week due to a torn ACL. The odds for Dallas to win the title are currently 200/1.

"No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected No. 1s and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation,” Cuban said of the mess.

The Lakers, on the other hand, have achieved a 9-2 record since Doncic’s joining, featuring a 107-99 victory over Dallas at home where Doncic recorded 12 assists, collected 15 rebounds, and scored 19 points. The Lakers' championship chances have decreased from 40/1 to 10/1. 

Billionaire Disagreements 

Cuban, a Democrat, surprised many when he sold 69% of the team, which he had owned and notably controlled since 2000 after purchasing the franchise from Ross Perot Jr. for $285 million, to a major donor of the Republican Party. 

Dr. Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sands' founder Sheldon Adelson, purchased the majority stake in the Mavs alongside her son-in-law Patrick Dumont for approximately $3.5 billion. Cuban holds 27.7% of the Mavs, while Mary Stanton owns the remaining 3.3%. 

Adelson and Dumont are said to have arranged the “deal” to transfer Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Harrison. NBA experts criticized the deal. Mavs supporters voiced their anger. 

Dumont ultimately backed the decision publicly amid allegations that Doncic's character and work ethic were not compatible with the Mavs.

"The way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome,” Dumont, who had no prior experience governing a professional or amateur sports team on any level, told The Dallas Morning News in February.

Davis has participated in only one match since coming to Dallas. On February 8, he recorded 16 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and 26 points in an impressive debut against the Houston Rockets, but exited the game due to a lower-body injury that has resulted in him being out ever since. 

With the Mavs appearing to be an unlikely contender for a significant playoff run, there are suggestions that the team may contemplate sidelining the big man for the season.