Mark Cuban has never been shy about admitting mistakes, but his latest comments on The All-In Podcast were as candid as they come. The former Dallas Mavericks governor, now a minority owner after selling a controlling stake of the franchise last year, squarely placed the blame for losing control of the organization on general manager Nico Harrison.
“Yeah, I f**ed up. Yeah, I mean, when I did the deal, the presumption was that I would still be running basketball. And we tried to put it in the contract, but the NBA said the governor is the governor and they make all final decisions.”
“And then, you know, I was involved and then we went on this run where we went to the finals, and rather than trying to interject myself all the time, I was like, I don’t want to get in the way, we’re rolling. And that was a mistake, right?”
“So it went, there were some things that happened internally where the person who traded Luca didn’t want me there. And so they won, I lost. But that’s in the past, I’m still hardcore Mavs, MFFL.”
Cuban explained that at first, he remained actively involved. The Mavericks went on a deep playoff run, even making the 2024 NBA Finals. Believing that meddling could derail the team’s success, he decided to step back.
The fallout came when disagreements began to surface internally. According to Cuban, Harrison, who was elevated from his Nike executive background into running the Mavericks front office in 2021, did not want Cuban in the room.
Those words hit hard in Dallas, where trading Luka Doncic to the Lakers this past offseason remains one of the most controversial moves in franchise history. Fans have questioned Harrison’s vision and direction, especially after the team’s postseason ended with Anthony Davis limping off in a Play-In loss and Doncic thriving immediately in Los Angeles alongside LeBron James.
For Cuban, it seems the decision to step back came from a place of trust in the team’s hot streak, but ultimately, that faith backfired. What he calls a “mistake” is being interpreted by fans as a lack of oversight at a pivotal moment.
While Cuban still insists he’s “hardcore Mavs, MFFL,” his power has been reduced. Under NBA governance rules, once he sold the majority stake, his contractual attempts to retain basketball authority held no weight.
This is also a rare moment of Cuban publicly pointing a finger. While he didn’t name Harrison directly in the podcast, the implication was unmistakable. Referring to “the person who traded Luka” leaves little doubt about where he places responsibility for one of the most polarizing front-office moves in league history.
The Mavericks now face an uncertain future. They still have Davis, who showed flashes of dominance but also glaring durability issues. They still have assets and flexibility, but the optics of letting go of a generational talent in Doncic will linger for years.
For Cuban, the sting is personal. After more than two decades of being the face of Mavericks basketball, he finds himself on the outside looking in, forced to watch someone else steer the ship, even if it crashes.
