Matt Johnson
Mark Cuban made headlines in December 2023 when the iconic NBA owner sold his beloved franchise at a $3.5 billion valuation. Less than three years later, he’s admitting it was a mistake to get into business with the Adelson and Dumont families.
During an appearance on the “Intersections” podcast, Cuban said that he has no regrets over selling the Dallas Mavericks, but he does wish he never made a deal with the new owners.
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“I don’t regret selling. I regret who I sold to. I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I’ll leave it at that.”
Mark Cuban on selling the Dallas Mavericks to the Adelson and Dumont families (via ESPN)
When the deal was first struck, Cuban still retained a 27 percent stake in the Mavericks’ franchise. He had been assured by Miriam Adelson and her son-in-law, Patrick Dumont, that he would have significant input over basketball operations.
It became evident months later that wasn’t the case. Under then-general manager Nico Harrison, Cuban was increasingly pushed out of decision-making regarding the team. That became most evident in February 2025, when Dumont signed off on the trade sending Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers. Cuban didn’t learn of the trade until after it was finalized.
Harrison had taken full control of basketball operations, building the team as he saw fit. However, after the trade of Doncic inevitably backfired, Dumont fired Harrison in November and wrote a letter pleading for fans to support the team just months after he had signed off on giving away the franchise’s star.
Cuban, who originally defended his decision to sell the team as being a “middle-class billionaire” who struggled with the financial burden of competing in the modern NBA, now cites an “emotional commitment” that was required to be a great owner as one of the reasons he sold the club.
“My kids, they were coming of age where they would have the mindset that they want to work at the Mavs. I didn’t want them to. If fans don’t like what you’re doing or the team’s not doing well, you’re the worst human being on the planet.”
Mark Cuban on selling the Dallas Mavericks
With the benefit of hindsight, knowing both how quickly he was pushed aside in the organization and the role it played in the Doncic trade, Cuban obviously regrets ever making a deal with Adelson and Dumont. Unfortunately for the fans, they are the ones paying the price while he still walked away from the deal with billions.
