When Mark Cuban, majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks for 23 years, decided to sell his stake back in 2023, many wondered what direction the franchise would take.
Cuban, who had been involved in nearly every major front-office decision, built the team that shocked the Miami Heat in 2011 by winning Dallas’ first-ever NBA championship.
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Also, under his leadership, generational talent Luka Doncic was drafted, making it clear that the next owner, Patrick Dumont, had big shoes to fill. Even though Dallas reached the Finals in Dumont’s first season, the blockbuster trade sending Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers changed everything.
Both the Dumont family and GM Nico Harrison became targets of criticism, with many fans saying such a move would have been unthinkable under Cuban.
Now, Cuban has spoken publicly, casting further doubt on the post-Cuban era in the “All In” podcast.
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“When I did the deal, the assumption was I would still be running basketball. And we tried to put it into the contract, but the NBA said the governor is the governor and they make all final decisions,” Cuban said.
“And then, you know, I was involved and we went on this run, where we went to the Finals. 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. There were some things that happened internally where the person who traded Luka didn’t want me there. And so, they won, I lost,” he added.
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Losing control
It’s clear Cuban wanted to keep shaping Dallas basketball operations, but bureaucracy got in the way.
Once the team reached the Finals without him, he felt things were on the right track and didn’t want to interfere.
However, the roster that went on to the Finals had largely been built by Cuban and his front office, with role players carefully selected to maximize Doncic’s game.
As Cuban indicates, the person who executed the Doncic trade, likely Harrison, though the extent of his involvement is unclear, did not want Cuban involved in these decisions. This revelation adds another layer of controversy that could further frustrate Mavs Nation.
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Cuban doesn’t regret the sale
Although Cuban has repeatedly expressed support for the new management, he also reflected on the sale itself.
“I don’t regret selling the team; I regret how I did it,” Cuban said. “Would I still sell the team? Yes, for all the same reasons I said a hundred times. Would I do it the same way? Absolutely not. I would’ve put it out to bid. But I didn’t, so it doesn’t matter,” he explained.
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While Cuban is unlikely to publicly attack the new ownership directly, especially not after the Doncic trade, this statement adds intrigue to the sale saga. The full story may never be revealed, but the magnitude of trading a superstar in his prime is clear, as media scrutiny remains intense even seven months later.
Cuban’s words also suggest that the new ownership wanted full control over decisions and to steer the team in a new direction. After Cuban’s departure, it seems somewhat forcefully moved on from Doncic and started building the team based on their own vision, completely separate from the moves of the previous front office led by Cuban.
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 11, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.