DON’T LOOK AT ME

Mark Cuban Distances Himself From Mavs’ Luka Doncic Trade

The billionaire owns a minority stake in the NBA team.

As NBA fans react to the Dallas Mavericks’ shocking trade of star player Luka Doncic, the team’s billionaire minority owner Mark Cuban says he’s not to blame. According to WFAA, an ABC affiliate in Dallas, Cuban wasn’t involved in the three-team trade. Doncic was sent to the Los Angeles Lakers along with Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris, while the Mavericks acquired Anthony Davis, Max Christie, and the Lakers’ first-round pick in 2029. The Utah Jazz received Jalen Hood-Schifino and the 2025 second-round picks of the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Cuban, also a beloved Shark Tank host, sold his majority stake in the Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families in November 2023. “I believe that defense wins championships,” Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison said of the trade to ESPN’s Tim MacMahon. “I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We’re built to win now and in the future.”