Mark Cuban might not own the majority of the Dallas Mavericks anymore, but his love for the team hasn’t faded one bit. So when Luka Doncic—arguably the heart and soul of the franchise—was suddenly traded to the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this season, Cuban was just as shocked as everyone else. The move sent shockwaves through the league, leaving Dallas scrambling to find its footing. Now, with the team battling injuries and inconsistency, Cuban is speaking out about his frustration, his admiration for Doncic, and the questions he still has about where the team is headed.
Mark Cuban Finally Speaks Out on Luka Doncic’s Trade to Los Angeles Lakers
For months, fans have been waiting to hear Mark Cuban’s unfiltered thoughts on the trade that rocked the Dallas Mavericks’ future. When he finally opened up on the ‘Your Mom’s House’ podcast, he didn’t sugarcoat anything. Doncic getting dealt to the Lakers wasn’t just surprising—it was completely baffling to him. The way it went down, the impact on the team, the aftermath—Cuban didn’t hold back when talking about one of the wildest trades in Mavericks history. Luka Doncic getting shipped off to the Lakers? It rocked the league and left Cuban trying to wrap his head around how it even happened.
“I loved Luka,” Cuban said. “We weren’t best buddies, but I would text him all the time and DM him. I would give him all these motivational quotes, even gave him books to read and stuff to read. So we had a good relationship, got along great with his dad. I was just as dumbfounded as everybody else.”
The trade didn’t just shake up the Mavericks—it threw the whole fanbase into chaos. Losing Doncic, the face of the franchise, was a seismic blow, and Dallas has been struggling ever since. They can’t seem to find any rhythm, dealing with inconsistency and a string of injuries, including Kyrie Irving tearing his ACL. With the team sitting at 11th in the Western Conference at 33-37, it’s no wonder Cuban is frustrated.
The aftermath of the trade has been anything but smooth. With key players sidelined and the playoffs slipping further out of reach, speculation is already swirling about the team’s next moves. When asked about rumors that Kyrie Irving could be waived in the offseason, Cuban initially dismissed the idea but acknowledged that, after seeing Doncic traded, anything seemed possible.
“And I love Kyrie too. Maybe they’re just trying to get rid of the people I like,” Cuban joked. “You know, somebody comes in, takes over a company, and gets rid of the old guys.”
Cuban doesn’t have a say in roster moves anymore, but he made one thing clear—if he did, Doncic would still be in Dallas. “If I had any influence, that trade never happens,” he said. “But after I sold the team, the new owner, Patrick Dumont, decided, ‘In Nico we trust.’ So, here we are.”
