The Dallas Mavericks have mastered the art of dysfunction.
Former majority owner Mark Cuban added to it recently with comments made on the “Intersections” podcast, when he shared his “regrets” over selling controlling interest to the franchise to Miriam Adelson, her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, and daughter, Sivan.
“I don’t regret selling. I regret who I sold to,” Cuban said.
His comments add another chapter in what’s been a chaotic stretch in Dallas dating back years. Below is a closer look at the timeline.
Following All-Star weekend, the Mavericks were rocked by a Sports Illustrated expose detailing a shocking, yearslong toxic workplace culture, resulting in immediate action against two employees and an NBA investigation.
“I don’t have any tolerance for what I’ve read,” Cuban told SI. “It’s wrong. It’s abhorrent. It’s not a situation we condone.”
The following day, Cuban was fined for taking a pro-tanking stance in a podcast interview with Julius Irving.
“I’m probably not supposed to say this,” Cuban confessed, “but I just had dinner with a bunch of our guys the other night… I was like, ‘Look, losing is our best option.’”
That season, the Mavericks finished 24-58, recording their fewest wins in an 82-game season since 1997-98. They landed the No. 5 pick in the NBA Draft, which they swapped with the Atlanta Hawks for No. 3 to acquire Luka Doncic.
Sep. 19, 2018 – NBA releases investigation findings; Mavs reprimanded
The league shared results of an independent investigation following the SI report, as well as actions taken against the Mavs, which included an overhaul of their HR department and quarterly reports submitted to the NBA on the implementation of its recommendations. Cuban also donated $10M to causes supporting domestic abuse survivors and the hiring of women in leadership positions.
Oct. 5, 2018 – Team photographer hit with sexual misconduct allegations
Less than a month after the league’s findings were published, team photographer Danny Bollinger was in the headlines, with employees alleging sexual misconduct. He was fired three days later.
Jun. 14, 2021 – Front-office rift detailed in The Athletic report
Dysfunction turned to the basketball side of operations in 2021, when The Athletic wrote about a growing chasm between Haralabos Voulgaris, hired in 2018 as the director of qualitative research and development, and others within the organization, including Doncic and then-general manager Donnie Nelson. While Cuban dismissed the article, both Nelson and Voulgaris didn’t return for the 2021-22 season.
During an interview with Pablo Torre for ESPN, Voulgaris shared his side. While confirming Doncic’s frustration, he also was left unimpressed with the franchise, describing it as “a very gossipy workplace, very gossipy. It was like a sewing circle over there.”
After being terminated from his post, Nelson sued the organization nearly a year later, saying he was only fired after reporting sexual misconduct stemming from an alleged interaction his nephew had with Cuban’s chief of staff.
“Everything in that filing is a lie,” Cuban responded.
The suit was later settled out of court in November 2024.
Apr. 14, 2023 – Cuban fined for resting key players
Not receiving the message after his previous fine, Cuban was fined $750K for tanking once again, this time so Dallas would have better odds of retaining its top-10-protected 2023 draft pick. The scheme worked, with the Mavs eventually turning the selection into center Dereck Lively II.
Dec. 28, 2023 – NBA approves majority sale to the Adelson and Dumont families
The NBA’s board of governors finalized the controlling ownership sale three days after Christmas. At the time, Cuban downplayed its impact on basketball operations, with the former longtime majority owner saying, “It’s a great partnership. It’s what the team needed on the court and off. I’ll still be overseeing the basketball side of it.”
Less than a year after reaching the NBA Finals, the Mavericks completed the worst trade in league history when then-general manager Nico Harrison sent Doncic to the Lakers for a laughably low haul that included forward Anthony Davis and only one future first-round pick.
“I believe that defense wins championships,” Harrison rationalized at the time. Over the team’s final 32 games after completing the transaction, it went 13-19 while allowing 118.7 points per game, up 5.4 points from before the trade.
Professional sports teams from the same city rarely beef with one another, but that’s what happened when the Mavs filed suit against the NHL’s Stars, with whom they share American Airlines Center. The Mavericks alleged a breach of contract, which states both teams must have headquarters in Dallas. The Stars’ primary offices have been in Frisco since 2003.
The messy back-and-forth could head to trial, which would be bad PR for both.
“It’s really sad that a relationship has turned into this for no reason,” Stars president and CEO Brad Alberts said, per The Dallas Morning News. “It’s just unfortunate. It’s the biggest disappointment in my career.”
Feb. 4, 2026 – Anthony Davis traded to the Washington Wizards
A little over one calendar year after the Doncic trade — and four months after Harrison was fired — Dallas admitted its failure by sending Davis to the Wizards for two future firsts, three seconds and scraps, marking a fitting resolution to the catastrophic misfire.
March 31, 2026 – Cuban admits regrets over selling to Adelson, Dumont
Cuban, who still owns a 27 percent share in the organization, added to the internal strife with Tuesday’s comments, making his displeasure clear.
It also sparks concern over what happens next.