After nearly two months of deep reflection, former Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban still feels the sting of Luka Doncic’s trade to the Los Angeles Lakers, initially marking a shocking shift in the NBA landscape. The blockbuster deal, which saw star player Doncic traded for Anthony Davis, has left many — especially fans of the Mavericks — grappling with the implications of losing such a generational talent.
In a candid discussion on the "Your Mom's House" podcast, Cuban revealed the emotional toll that the trade has inflicted upon him. "It's just brutal, it's painful no matter how you look at it. It's like talking about a pet dying; I'm in mourning kind of, still," he shared. Despite the pain, Cuban added that being financially secure is a consolation, saying, "But they paid me to buy the circus, so I just look at my bank account and feel better." His net worth, now an impressive $5.7 billion, provides some comfort, but it cannot replace what Doncic represented for the franchise.
Cuban recognized that his ability to influence team decisions had diminished after the sale of the Mavericks to Patrick Dumont and the Adelson family. “If I had any influence, the trade wouldn’t happen,” Cuban asserted, clarifying that since stepping away from day-to-day operations, he trusted Dumont and general manager Nico Harrison with the team's future. Harrison, in charge of basketball operations, made the call to trade Doncic to Los Angeles in exchange for Davis and rookie Max Christie, which Cuban believes he would not have allowed if he had the power.
Reflections on the trade sparked a memory for Cuban, linking the loss of Doncic to a painful decision from the past — the departure of Steve Nash in 2004. He noted, "Look, you know, in 2004 I let Steve Nash walk, and he won two MVPs the next two years." Despite such a difficult decision over a decade ago, the Mavericks still managed to secure their first title in 2011, which Cuban sees as a silver lining in difficult decisions made for the future of the team.
Mark Cuban isn't just lamenting the change; he also grieves for the future of a franchise he rebuilt from the ground up. He bought the Mavericks for $200 million in 2000, inheriting a broken franchise that had not seen playoff success in nearly a decade. Under his leadership, the Mavericks prospered, reaching heights many did not think possible, including that coveted NBA championship in 2011. His role in drafting Doncic in 2018 remains one of the pivotal moments of his ownership. Cuban orchestrated a deal with the Atlanta Hawks, trading away Trae Young and a future first-round pick to bring Doncic to Dallas.
Cuban's retrospective analysis didn’t stop with Doncic; he expressed relief at selling his majority stake in the team to protect his family from the vitriol and backlash that often accompanies sports ownership today. "I don’t want my kids to end up in this exact position, at some level, if they made a mistake," Cuban explained. He addressed the increasing influence of social media on public perception of franchise decisions, reflecting on how detractors have targeted ownership in similar situations. The notion of safeguarding his children from constant scrutiny influenced his decision to sell and step aside from the forefront of the organization.
The loss of Doncic continues to weigh heavily on the hearts of Mavericks fans who have started to come to terms with the notion that "Luka Magic" is officially gone. Those fans are left to support the current team, which, while resilient, is also filled with injuries and struggles following Doncic’s departure.
Amidst this turmoil, the Lakers are profiting from Doncic’s talent, with Cuban watching the former superstar flourish in a new uniform. As if to add insult to injury, Cuban's wealth serves as a bittersweet reminder of the business decisions that shape the league each year. While Cuban reminisces about his time as the orchestrator of team dynamics, his detached status now means he often finds himself overshadowed by the very athlete he once saw as his franchise cornerstone.
As the Mavericks grapple with their new identity and the realities of NBA competition without their star player, Cuban will inevitably continue his path as a fan, hoping for the best for a franchise that transformed under his stewardship while grappling daily with the heartache of watching Luka Doncic thrive elsewhere.
Time will tell if this trade will come to be seen as a pivotal moment for the Mavericks’ future or a catastrophic loss for a team trying desperately to move on. Cuban’s personal journey — one filled with both triumphs and tough lessons — will remain intertwined with the legacy of Luka Doncic as both player and symbol of what might have been.
