The Luka Dončić–for–Anthony Davis trade seems nearly impossible to justify or make sense of on its face, which has led Mavericks fans to concoct conspiracy theories.
A popular one that has gained traction is the Adelson family, who bought the team in late 2023, is open to tanking the team’s fortunes and moving it to Las Vegas. The Adelsons are casino magnates with significant holdings in Las Vegas, and have been unsuccessfully lobbying the Texas legislature to legalize sports gambling so they can build a gaming resort in the Dallas area. Under this theory, popularized by a Texas lawyer after the trade, ownership is gutting the Mavs to make a Vegas move credible and therefore pressure the state to legalize gambling.
In an interview published Sunday, team governor Patrick Dumont explicitly shot the Vegas theory down. (Dumont is Miriam Adelson’s son-in-law.)
“The Dallas Mavericks are not moving to Las Vegas,” Dumont told The Dallas Morning News. “There is no question in that. That is the answer, unequivocally. The Dallas Mavericks are the Dallas Mavericks and they will be in Dallas.”
Dumont spoke fondly of Dončić in the interview, but backed GM Nico Harrison’s contention that trading the superstar guard was good for the team’s culture. Without lobbing specific accusations at Dončić, he implied that the Slovenian was not a hard worker.
“If you look at the greats in the league, the people you and I grew up with—[Michael] Jordan, [Larry] Bird, Kobe [Bryant], Shaq [O’Neal]—they worked really hard, every day, with a singular focus to win,” Dumont said. “And if you don’t have that, it doesn’t work. And if you don’t have that, you shouldn’t be part of the Dallas Mavericks.” (O’Neal himself said after the trade that during his NBA career, he did not work out during the summer and played himself into shape during the season.)
“That’s who we want,” Dumont added. “I’m unwavering on this. The entire organization knows this. This is how I operate outside of basketball. This is the only way to be competitive and win. If you want to take a vacation, don’t do it with us.”
Dumont said he thinks the team is better from the trade and pointed to a year ago, when the Mavericks were 26–23 on Feb. 1, 2024, and did not look like a title contender. Trades for Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington fueled a surprise run to the Finals behind Dončić.
One problem that Dumont and Harrison maybe should have foreseen is Davis’s extensive injury history. He looked terrific in his debut with the team, going for 26 points, 16 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks in the Mavericks’ 116–105 win. But he left the third quarter with a lower body injury that was later described as an adductor train. His absence “could stretch to a month.” The Mavericks are eighth in the tight Western Conference standings with a 28–25 record, but will now need to rely on Kyrie Irving to keep their playoff hopes afloat without his new running mate.
While Dumont is encouraging fans to look at the trade with the glass half full, his predecessor does not necessarily share the same views. Mark Cuban sold the Adelsons his majority stake in the team in 2023, and still holds less than 30% of the Mavs. He referenced the trade Friday night with Bill Gates, in a conversation about the Microsoft cofounder’s recently released memoir. Cuban previously told Front Office Sports he wasn’t aware of the trade until right before it was announced.
“If after you left Microsoft, you found out that Steve Ballmer traded Windows 11—like, the new hot operating system—for Windows 10, the Hall of Fame but older operating system, what would you do?” Cuban asked Gates, which drew large applause from the audience.
“I might have to hide from the press,” Gates replied.
“I know a couple of other people that are in that situation,” Cuban said.
