Mark Cuban Says He ‘Fully Expected’ to Run Mavs After Selling Team

Mark Cuban continues to weigh in on the Luka Dončić trade more than a month after the Mavericks shipped their franchise star to the Lakers and reveal more about his sale of the team in doing so.

In a Facebook post on March 21, former Mavericks event manager Gavin Mulloy wrote that “Cuban should be run out of Dallas,” in an apparent reference to allowing the trade to happen.

On Sunday, Cuban chimed in. 

“I did every damn thing I could for 23 years,” Cuban wrote. “Kept prices lower than not only any NBA team, but lower than college teams too. I made money 2 out of 23 years I was the majority owner. Lost hundreds of millions of dollars.” The interaction was first reported by The Dallas Morning News. 

Mulloy replied that Cuban got a bad deal and should have retained control of basketball operations. 

“Actually I fully expected to run basketball,” Cuban replied. “The NBA wouldn’t let me put it in the contract. They took it out,” Cuban wrote about his sale to the Adelson family. “I thought they would stick to their word because they didn’t know the first thing about running a team. Someone obviously changed their mind.”

On Thursday, NBA commissioner Adam Silver was asked about Cuban’s comments at a press conference after a Board of Governors meeting. The question came in light of the recent sale of the Celtics for $6.1 billion, which involves current governor and CEO Wyc Grousbeck staying in those roles through the end of the 2027–2028 season. 

Silver said he doesn’t consider the two situations similar and that it was too early to weigh in on the Celtics details. He also added that Cuban’s involvement with the Mavericks after the sale was never a written agreement.

“I think the situation was very different in Dallas,” Silver said. “I think there was a clear change in control of the franchise to Patrick Dumont and his family. Any decision as to what Mark’s role would be in basketball operations was a function of an arrangement to be made between Mark Cuban and Patrick. The ultimate governance was absolutely clear as presented to our board that the last word on any basketball activities or any significant decision for the franchise would be made by Patrick, and I think Mark’s acknowledged that. 

“And whether or not his expectation was that he would have played more of a role in basketball operations, I don’t think Mark has ever suggested that there was a contractual issue at play here,” Silver added. “That was just his understanding of what the arrangement would be between him and Patrick Dumont.” 

Cuban sold the Mavericks in December 2023 to the Adelson family for $3.5 billion, but still owns roughly 27% of the team. He has been outspoken about the Dončić trade, saying the team should have made a “better deal.” 

The Mavericks have faced an avalanche of injuries since trading Dončić in February, including star guard Kyrie Irving to an ACL tear and Anthony Davis to an adductor strain, the latter of which was the key return from the Lakers. The team is currently 36–38 for the season, which has them in 10th place in the Western Conference standings and in the final spot for the Play-In tournament.