Mark Cuban Spats With Mavs’ Casino Owners, Criticizes Luka Doncic Trade

Posted on: March 7, 2025, 03:46h. 

Last updated on: March 7, 2025, 03:46h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.
  • Mark Cuban has criticized the Mavs shipping Luka Doncic to the Lakers
  • Cuban no longer has a majority say in the Mavs’ decisions
  • Las Vegas billionaires bought the NBA franchise in 2024

Billionaire Mark Cuban sold a majority stake in the NBA Dallas Mavericks to the family that owns the Las Vegas Sands casino empire last year. He’s seemingly not on the same page as the team’s new controlling owners in 2025.

Mark Cuban Luka Doncic trade Adelson Sands
Mark Cuban is criticizing the NBA Dallas Mavericks’ trade of Luka Doncic. Cuban sold a majority stake in the team to Dr. Miriam Adelson and Patrick Dumont, who control and run Las Vegas Sands. (Image: Getty)

On Friday, Cuban spoke publicly about the Mavs trading superstar Luka Doncic, the NBA’s 2024 scoring champion, a five-time NBA All-Star, and five-time All-NBA First Team member, to the Los Angeles Lakers. The Shark Tank star and outspoken political pundit seemingly took jabs at team General Manager Nico Harrison and the individuals he sold 69% of the organization.

If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing. Just get a better deal,” Cuban said during an interview with WFAA, the Dallas affiliate of ABC.

Asked whether he would have traded Doncic, Cuban said he’s “not going there. It doesn’t matter.”

Mavs, Lakers Headed in Different Directions

Before the Mavs moved Luka, their odds of winning the NBA Finals stood at 20/1. They lengthened to 66/1 after getting Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and a 2029 first-round pick for Doncic.

Kyrie Irving, the Mavs’ top scorer following the shakeup, saw his season end this week with a torn ACL. Dallas’ title odds now stand at 200/1.

No disrespect to Anthony Davis, but I still firmly believe if we had gotten four unprotected No. 1s and Anthony Davis and Max Christie, this would be a different conversation,” Cuban said of the mess.

The Lakers, meanwhile, have gone 9-2 since Doncic’s arrival, including a 107-99 win against Dallas at home in which Doncic dished 12 assists, grabbed 15 boards, and scored 19 points. The Lakers’ title odds have shrunk from 40/1 to 10/1.

Billionaire Bickering

Cuban, a Democrat, shocked many when he sold 69% of the team, which he had owned and famously controlled since 2000 when he acquired the franchise from Ross Perot Jr. for $285 million, to one of the Republican Party’s megadonors.

Dr. Miriam Adelson, the widow of Sands’ late founder, Sheldon Adelson, bought the majority Mavs position with Patrick Dumont, her son-in-law, for about $3.5 billion. Cuban retains 27.7% of the Mavs and Mary Stanton retains the remaining 3.3%.

Adelson and Dumont reportedly orchestrated the “deal” to unload Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers with Harrison. NBA insiders panned the transaction. Mavs fans expressed outrage.

Dumont eventually publicly defended the decision on claims that Doncic’s character and work ethic didn’t align with the Mavs.

The way teams win is by focus, by having the right character, by having the right culture and having the right dedication to work as hard as possible to create a championship-winning outcome,” Dumont, who had no prior experience governing a professional or amateur sports team on any level, told The Dallas Morning News in February.

Davis has played just one game since arriving in Dallas. He had 16 rebounds, seven assists, three blocks, and 26 points in a strong debut on Feb. 8 against the Houston Rockets but left the game with a lower-body injury that has kept him sidelined since.

With the Mavs now seemingly a longshot contender for a deep playoff run, there are reports that the team is considering shutting down the big man for the year.