Mark Cuban, who was once the undisputed face of the Dallas Mavericks‘ major moves, had nothing to do with the team’s trade of superstar Luka Doncic in the early hours of Sunday morning, The Post reported.
Cuban said in an interview with Dallas radio station WFAA that he was not involved in the three-team trade that sent Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers and Anthony Davis to the Mavericks.
Although he remains a minority owner of the team, Cuban has stepped away from the day-to-day basketball operations since the Adelson family took majority control of the franchise in late 2023.
The apparent reason for Doncic’s move to the Lakers
Nico Harrison, general manager of the Mavericks, was the main promoter of the change, for an alleged change of direction for the Texas team.
However, Harrison’s fear was that Doncic would leave the club in 2026, when his contract expires, although he had an option to play one more season for $49 million.
Cuban once said: “If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me in my lawyer’s office getting ready for divorce”, but he is now no longer in a position to exert that level of influence given his minority ownership of the organization.
In contrast, the new majority ownership led by Patrick Dumont and the rest of the Adelson family has taken over day-to-day operations.
“I think defense wins championships,” Harrison told ESPN about his motivation to trade Doncic for Davis. “I think getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA defensive-minded player gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”
The Mavericks’ new defense
The Mavericks, who made the NBA Finals in the 2023-24 season and lost in five games to the Boston Celtics, now believe they are built to win this year and will pair Davis with Kyrie Irving, along with Klay Thompson, Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington and Dereck Lively, among others.
In Los Angeles, the Lakers would now have Doncic at the helm alongside LeBron James, his idol, who would pass the torch to the young Slovenian star.
Austin Reaves also remains in Los Angeles, giving the Lakers three dynamic creators at the point on offense.
Longtime fans may still associate Cuban with every major move, but the current structure confirms that the main decision-making rests with Harrison and the Adelsons.
Cuban’s absence from trade discussions underscores this shift in leadership.
Despite his historic past with the franchise, Cuban’s role has become more symbolic and he is no longer involved in high-level basketball decisions like this deal with Doncic.
Otherwise, the Slovenian would probably still be in Dallas.
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