When the Dallas Mavericks made the franchise-altering decision to trade Luka Dončić to the Los Angeles Lakers, former majority team owner Mark Cuban tried to downplay the situation. Initially, Cuban admitted he would have sought a better deal if he were in charge, but he did not confirm whether he would have made the trade.
Recently, Cuban appeared on the “Your Mom’s House” podcast with comedian Tom Segura and shed light on the trade around the 54-minute mark of the show.
Cuban disclosed that he received a text from team general manager Nico Harrison on the night of Dončić’s trade. Initially thinking Harrison was seeking his opinion, Cuban later realized the deal had already been finalized. He responded by stating he disagreed with trading Dončić but acknowledged it was not his decision to make.
Agreeing with Segura that Dončić is a generational player, Cuban drew parallels to allowing Steve Nash to leave the Mavericks in 2004. Nash went on to win consecutive MVP awards with the Phoenix Suns. Cuban admitted that the decision to let Nash go would have been even more scrutinized if the Suns had defeated the Mavericks in the 2006 Western Conference Finals. Despite Dallas reaching the Finals that year, they lost to the Miami Heat in six games.
Mark Cuban opens up on Luka Dončić trade
About a month after Dončić was traded to the Lakers for Anthony Davis, Cuban publicly addressed the trade for the first time. In an interview with WFAA, Cuban expressed regret over not holding out for a better deal. When asked if he would have traded Dončić, Cuban chose not to respond, stating, “I’m not going to go there. Doesn’t matter.”
Cuban’s revelations on Segura’s podcast appeared to provide clarity on the matter. Given the backlash from Mavericks fans regarding the trade, Cuban’s decision to distance himself further from the deal in the interview was strategic.