Mark Cuban Opens Up on Struggles With Dallas Mavericks’ New Owners

Posted : 01 April 2026

Tensions between Mark Cuban and the new controlling owners of the Dallas Mavericks continue to grow. Cuban, who sold the majority stake of the franchise to the Adelson and Dumont families in December 2023, has privately expressed dissatisfaction with the deal for more than a year. His frustrations became public during a recent appearance on the "Intersections" podcast.

“I don’t regret selling,” Cuban admitted. “I regret who I sold to. I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I’ll leave it at that.”

When the $3.5 billion sale closed, Cuban insisted he would retain influence over the Mavs’ basketball operations, even as Patrick Dumont assumed the role of franchise governor. Cuban, who still holds a 27% ownership stake, claimed at the time that “nothing really changes except my bank account.”

Financial considerations were a major factor in Cuban’s decision to sell. He described the cost of sustaining a championship-caliber NBA team as a burden for a “middle-class billionaire,” citing the emotional and personal toll of majority ownership. Cuban also expressed concern about the impact on his children, saying he did not want them to inherit the pressures of running the team.

Cuban framed the sale as a partnership that combined his basketball expertise with the Adelson and Dumont families’ financial resources and plans to develop a new arena as part of a Dallas resort and entertainment complex. However, there was no contractual language granting Cuban continued control over basketball decisions.

Following the sale, Cuban was largely excluded from basketball operations, even as Luka Doncic led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals. His frustration peaked in February 2025 when Dumont approved a blockbuster trade sending Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers, a move Cuban called shocking and widely regarded as one of the worst trades in sports history. Cuban only learned of the trade after it was finalized.

Although then-general manager Nico Harrison was fired in November amid poor performance and fan outrage, Cuban’s hopes of regaining influence over basketball decisions have not materialized. The Mavericks have struggled this season, finishing with a 24-51 record. While rookie Cooper Flagg has emerged as a Rookie of the Year contender, injuries and a midseason trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards have left the team in disarray.

Mark Cuban Opens Up on Struggles With Dallas Mavericks’ New Owners

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