In an exclusive interview with WFFA’s Jonah Javad on Thursday evening (YouTube link), former Mavericks majority owner — and current minority stakeholder — Mark Cuban broke his silence about the shocking decision to trade Luka Doncic to the Lakers.
The full deal saw the Mavericks send Doncic, Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber to the Lakers, with the Mavericks acquiring Anthony Davis, Max Christie and the Lakers’ 2029 first-round pick. Utah was also involved, receiving a couple of second-round picks (one from L.A., one from Dallas) for taking on the salary of Jalen Hood-Schifino, who was later waived (he is now on a two-way deal with Philadelphia).
Was Cuban upset about the trade?
“Yeah, of course. … If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal. … I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected number ones and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation.”
Would he have made the trade?
“I’m not going to go there. It doesn’t even matter.”
Cuban confirmed he did not have advanced knowledge of the deal, which has been previously reported.
“I knew five minutes at the most before (it was reported). … From a basketball perspective, you know, I hear about it after the fact, I don’t hear about anything beforehand.”
Is it difficult for him to be out of the loop when he was used to being actively involved in front office decisions?
“Yeah, there are parts that aren’t fun, obviously. Especially this month, or last month. But, you know, they paid for that right.”
Does he regret selling his majority stake in the Mavs?
“Sometimes I get mad (and think) ‘I would have done this.’ But, not really. … I didn’t want my kids to end up in this exact position, at some level, if they made a mistake. Imagine if I didn’t [sell], and my kids had taken over and they made a mistake like this.”
On the team’s struggle to communicate with fans in the aftermath of the trade:
“I think the biggest challenge that the Mavs have right now is there’s nobody who’s really outgoing to communicate. It’s not so much what you do, it’s how you communicate why you do what you do — and that’s their challenge without me in front.”
Has he been consulted by GM Nico Harrison or governor Patrick Dumont since the trade was completed?
“I have not talked to Nico about it. I said hi to Nico twice after the trade.”
The full video interview can be found here, while more transcript highlights can be found on WFFA’s website.
Cuban slips everything time he opens hus mouth lately.
he been correct about most things. Team was bought by rich elite kids that have no knowledge on running a NBA team.
Another draft pick !!!!
Cuban Never would have allowed this trade
Ever
Thx for selling the tm & ruining basketball
Ruining *Dallas basketball… FTFY
Ruined basketball maybe…. But it is a business and every NBA owner won in this trade. The Lakers brand really props up the value of the league. Especially now that TV deals nearly or drastically exceed ticket revenue in most markets.
You know Silver had his hands in this
“If my kids took over” man shut up
Sure Cuban. Like anything happens in Dallas without you letting it.
He doesn’t own the team anymore
If you missed the part where he sold controlling interest in the team, just say that
I’d love it, if Mark sold the rest of his Mav interest and bought my Cubs from Cricketts.
the trade would never have even been a possibility if Cuban was the owner. The team is ran by amateur rich kids that only cares about making money. This is like Fisher part 2 but in the NBA. Watch how they run it like venture capitalist.
Maybe Mark should have gotten a better deal when he sold his majority stake.
He bought the team for $285 Million and sold for $3.5 BILLION and got to keep 27.7% the team. I think the deal he got was just fine. You don’t always have to say something just for the sake of saying sonething
Just like Cuban didn’t have to say something just for the sake of saying something. Literally not one of his comments helps their current majority ownership or GM.
Cuban is just like a petulant little child and needs some attention in the press since no one is talking about him.
He was asked questions and gave straightforward, honest answers.
Yep and he could have politely said no comment.
And you could have not commented. And other people could have chosen not to reply. And then I might not have even bothered to chime in.
4 unprotected 1sts is a bit much.
Not for Doncic. It’s the floor for a deal.
Not when the player coming back is AD. It was stupid trade but Harrison but if you’re going to make it he should’ve held out for both 1sts.
Obviously not the floor
AD not playing and then Kyrie going down. Just adds salt to the wound. Me ….. I don’t tank this yr. But I wouldn’t blame them if Mavs do tank. Top 10 pick this year is major.
They should completely tank.
AD is a mammoth
Luka is a bear
Butler is a lion
Andrew Wiggins is a horse
You just don’t trade a lion for a horse
If you really want to trade a lion, you trade lion for a tiger
Draymond Green is a tiger
Wiggins play average 28 minutes for Warriors and play average 36 minutes for Heat
Heat treat him like a horse, now he is injured
What mammal is Andrew Nembhard?
Nembhard = Lemur
This is your best post ever
You got the Butler and Wiggins one backwards…
Wiggins – Lion
Butler – Horse’s ass
Uh…Wiggins is injured. Butler has improved the Warriors. Wiggins is a fine player. But, will never be great.
Butler was never great and Wiggins’ injury history is light in comparison…
I’ll take the player who shows up to games prepared to play… Not the one who throws hissy fits or the one who throws punches…
Lmaoo . I love the zoology comparisons. We need a full taxonomic breakdown of the league
Mavs mistakenly saw Luka as a mammoth ; or maybe a panda, hippo, take ur pick.
There’s no world where Cuban trades Luka. But people would have still complained if/when he signed him to a max extension. There’s a chance Luka gets complacent in DAL after the extension. But now he has a franchise who will hold him more accountable and I think he lives up to it.
Bahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Mark from Cuba is reaching for those straws so hard he dislocated his elbow…
Of course this narcissist Cuban has to give his two cents. Who cares what you think? You sold out.
So is Cuban admitting this is an ownership driven decision? Because otherwise it makes no sense to bring up a hypothetical involving his kids when they, presumably, would hire a minimally competent executive to run the front office rather than some random gambling-linked Nike executive. And, hell, even your most casual NBA fan or crazy 2Ker would not be dumb enough to do a trade like this. So is he saying his kids are the dimmest bulbs in the shed? Lol.
Every time someone connected to this team opens their mouth they just keep digging the hole deeper. But that’s what happens when many of those individuals are narcissists or just plain stupid.
It was most definitely an ownership decision.
Mark you want to get back in basketball theres a team in boston for sale with one heck of a legacy