The Dallas Mavericks fandom is still reeling from the recent trade sending 25-year-old superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis and Max Christie. Many Mavericks fans have rightly pointed out that this trade would’ve never happened if Mark Cuban was still the team’s majority owner.
Cuban is a Mavericks’ minority owner now and has no control over basketball operations anymore. He couldn’t stop the deal as he found out about the decision to move Luka after Nico Harrison and Rob Pelinka had made a handshake agreement, according to Marc Stein.
“By the time Cuban found out about the Luka-for-AD trade, it was too late. Dumont never approached for advice. Sources say Cuban urged Harrison not to go ahead with the swap … only to find out that the deal had already been sealed with the Lakers by verbal handshake.”
As the decision-making process becomes clearer through reporting, it seems the Mavericks higher-ups had enough of Doncic’s perceived lack of care for his body alongside trepidations about paying him a supermax contract.
Cuban sold the team in December 2023 to Miriam Adelson, who promised he’d remain in control of basketball operations. However, his power instantly diminished as he was pushed out of the decision-making inner circle over the last year. Current Mavs GM Nico Harrison seems to have unilateral power over team personnel, with the full backing of Adelson and Mavericks governor Patrick Dumont.
Cuban hasn’t made any negative thoughts about the deal public. When asked about it, Cuban just expressed his support for the franchise by saying MFFL. However, he recently let loose at a talk with Bill Gates by sharing a Windows analogy that seemed to mirror the trade.
Mark Cuban: “If after you left Microsoft you found out that Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11 — like the new hot operating system for Windows 10 … the Hall-of-Fame but the older operating system — what would you do?”
Bill Gates: “I might have to hide from the press.”
Mark Cuban: “I know a couple of other people that are in that situation,”
Mark Cuban jokes with Bill Gates about the Mavericks trading Luka Doncic:
“If after you left the company, they traded Microsoft 11 for Microsoft 10… what would you do?” 💀
(via @persources) pic.twitter.com/CrCYdokSJL
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) February 8, 2025
Mark Cuban was loyal to Dirk Nowitzki for 21 seasons, and Nowitzki paid him back with his loyalty. It seems Doncic was ready to show similar loyalty to the franchise, something Cuban has always welcomed. However, different agendas are at play now, with Doncic’s attitude not appreciated by the front office or team ownership.
Mavs Goivernon Patrick Dumont addressed the media to justify the Doncic trade in one of his few media appearances since taking control of the team. The justification lacked much logic, as Dumont mentioned wanting hardworking players before naming Shaquille O’Neal as an example while not mentioning Mavs legend Dirk.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with — Jordan, Bird, Kobe, Shaq — they worked really hard, every day with a singular focus to win. And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work… You shouldn’t be a part of the Dallas Mavericks.”
The reasons behind this move will always feel impossible to justify. The Mavericks have to deal with this for the rest of their franchise history, with Doncic playing out his career with the most motivation possible on the most famous franchise in the NBA.
He might have gotten off the ship at the perfect time, as the Mavericks’ don’t look well-stocked for the future.
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