It’s been over one year since Mark Cuban sold his majority stake as the Dallas Mavericks owner and retained 27.7% of the team.
More recently, it’s also been nearly five weeks since the Mavericks stunningly and controversially, traded the supposed face of the franchise, Luka Doncic, to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Thus far, the blockbuster move appears to have mostly backfired in drastic fashion for Dallas, as Doncic has helped Los Angeles (40-21) on its current eight-game winning streak into second place in the Western Conference standings. The Mavericks (32-31), meanwhile, are buried in 10th place, fighting to hold onto a Play-In Tournament berth and have seen numerous key players suffer serious injuries.
Cuban talked with WFAA’s Jonah Javad to discuss the state of the team and wasn’t shy in his evaluation of the trade. The full transaction sent Doncic and veteran power forwards Markieff Morris and Maxi Kleber to the Lakers, with the Mavericks receiving 10-time All-Star big man Anthony Davis, shooting guard Max Christie and a 2029 first-round draft pick.
Cuban Doesn’t Answer if he Would’ve Traded Doncic
The move has caused fury from Dallas fans, with general manager Nico Harrison earning most of the heat.
Cuban told Javad that he was siding with the fans who are upset with the deal.
“If the Mavs are going to trade Luka, that’s one thing,” he said. “Just get a better deal. 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.”
According to the report, Cuban said he no longer has any involvement with the team’s decisions. He also side-stepped the question of whether he would’ve traded away the 2018-19 Rookie of the Year.
“I’m not going there. It doesn’t matter,” Cuban said.
Comparing Doncic and Lakers vs. AD and Mavericks 5 Weeks After Trade
In the weeks following Doncic’s departure, the Mavericks have gone just 6-9 and their best players have gone down with injury after injury.
Davis suffered a left adductor strain in his debut with the team on Feb. 8 and hasn’t returned to the court. It’s been reported that “AD” could be shut down for the rest of the season.
Point guard Kyrie Irving, meanwhile, tore his left ACL during Monday’s contest against the Sacramento Kings. The injury will keep Irving out for the rest of the 2024-25 campaign and perhaps, much of next season as well.
The Lakers, on the other hand, are 12-2 since the megadeal and Doncic has come as advertised.
The five-time All-Star has averaged 23.8 points, 8.1 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 1.9 steals and 33.1 minutes per game across 10 contests with the Lakers, though his shooting line is below his career norms at .400/.305/.735.
The Mavericks and Lakers will on April 9 in Dallas, as both groups play in their third-to-last contest of the regular season.
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