Former Dallas Mavericks majority owner Mark Cuban acknowledged second thoughts about his choice of buyers for the franchise, saying on the “Intersections” podcast released Tuesday that he is unhappy with the group that acquired control of the team in December 2023.
“I don’t regret selling,” Cuban said during the appearance. “I regret who I sold to.”
The tech entrepreneur transferred a controlling interest to the Adelson and Dumont families at a $3.5 billion valuation but kept a 27 percent stake. At the time, he publicly stated that he would continue steering basketball operations even though Patrick Dumont became the organization’s governor. The final sales contract, however, did not grant Cuban that authority, according to people familiar with the deal.
A partnership that soured quickly
Cuban initially touted the agreement as a pairing of his basketball experience with the casino and real-estate resources of the families behind Las Vegas Sands Corp., which plan to construct a new arena within a Dallas resort and entertainment district. Behind the scenes, he soon found himself excluded from roster decisions.
The rift deepened in February 2025 when former general manager Nico Harrison, with Dumont’s approval, traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Cuban learned of the blockbuster only after it had been finalized. The move has since been labeled one of the most lopsided trades in professional sports.
Harrison was dismissed in November 2025 after an injury-plagued 3-8 start and mounting fan anger. Cuban advocated privately for the firing but still did not regain a formal voice in personnel matters, sources said.
Miserable season follows historic draft luck
Dallas caught a break in the 2026 draft lottery, overcoming 1.8 percent odds to land the top pick and select forward Cooper Flagg, now a leading Rookie of the Year candidate. Even so, the Mavericks sit at 24-51, sixth worst in the NBA, with much of their veteran core gone. Big man Anthony Davis, part of the Doncic trade return, appeared in just 29 games before being shipped to the Washington Wizards at this season’s trade deadline in a salary-dump deal.
Cuban said the relentless emotional swings of majority ownership and the financial strain of fielding a contender—burdens he once described as heavy for a “middle-class billionaire”—drove him to sell. Today, he concedes, the larger problem is the partners he picked.
Source: ESPN
