Mark Cuban Feeling Seller’s Remorse Over Mavericks

Mark Cuban’s $3.5 billion sale of the Dallas Mavericks to casino magnate Miriam Adelson is morphing into a public dispute over team management and governance.

During a recent appearance on the Intersections podcast, Cuban expressed regret regarding the specific buyer selected for the controlling stake of the NBA franchise. The New York Post reported that the billionaire entrepreneur offloaded a 73 percent interest in the organization in late 2023, citing the high emotional and operational toll of long-term franchise ownership.

Cuban bought the team in 2000 from Ross Perot Jr. for $285 million. After selling the team to the Adelsons, Cuban also sold more than a dozen acres on Stemmons Freeway in Dallas’ Design District in 2024 to an affiliate of Las Vegas Sands Corporation, which is owned by Miriam Adelson. That prompted speculation that the acquisition could be a prelude to a push for legalized casino gambling in the Lone Star State.

While Cuban maintains that the decision to sell the team was necessary, he has grown increasingly critical of the strategic shifts implemented by the Adelson-led ownership group. The primary point of contention involves the recent trade of franchise cornerstone Luka Dončić, a move Cuban claims was finalized without his input or approval.

Cuban described being blindsided by a late night call from the general manager informing him that the trade for Anthony Davis was already a completed deal, according to the outlet. Cuban characterized the player swap as a “catastrophic mistake,” arguing that Dončić represented a once-in-a-generation talent who should have remained untouchable.

The former majority owner further alleged that he was provided with misleading information when he attempted to challenge the trade with the new leadership. Cuban suggested on the podcast that personal relationships within the new front office, rather than objective performance metrics, may have skewed the decision-making process.

— Eric Weilbacher