In the aftermath of possibly the most stunning trade in the history of the NBA, the former majority owner of the Dallas Mavericks is distancing himself from the move his team made. Mark Cuban, who used to be the majority owner of the team and now only holds a minor stake, spoke to Dallas-area station WFAA in the aftermath of the trade that sent franchise star Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for Anthony Davis.

Cuban used to have a major say in the day-to-day operations of the franchise, but has since relinquished that role after the Adelson family took over the team in 2023. As a result, Cuban told WFAA that he was not involved in the trade call. Instead, this trade was driven by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison - who made the move seemingly out of fear that Doncic may leave the team when his deal expires in 2026.

Doncic's contract had a player option for the 2026-27 season worth about $49million, but he had the ability to opt-out of the deal. Mavericks part-owner Mark Cuban says he had nothing to do with a blockbuster NBA trade. Luka Doncic is leaving Dallas in a monster trade that will see him join the Lakers. Meanwhile, the Mavericks will be receiving a package which includes superstar big man Anthony Davis.

The trade appears to be designed by Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison (right). Cuban was an admirer of Doncic's game. So much so that he was once quoted as saying, 'If I had to choose between my wife and keeping Luka on the Mavs, catch me at my lawyer's office prepping for a divorce.'. But the operations of the team are now under the stewardship of Harrison and Patrick Dumant, the team's governor.

'I believe that defense wins championships,' Harrison told ESPN regarding his motivation to trade Doncic for Davis. 'I believe that getting an All-Defensive center and an All-NBA player with a defensive mindset gives us a better chance. We're built to win now and in the future.'. Dallas now has a more balanced roster in their backcourt. Instead of having to try and work out a structure to give time to Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and Klay Thompson, they can now run Irving and Thompson alongside Davis - one of the league's top big-men.

But Los Angeles now gets the benefit of having a long-term strategy with Doncic coming over. As LeBron James gets older, the Slovenian star will be able to seamlessly transition to becoming the face of the franchise. Before becoming the GM of the Mavericks in 2021, Harrison was a long-time executive at Nike. There, he gained notoriety for botching a presentation trying to convince Stephen Curry to re-sign with the brand. Curry ended up signing with Under Armour.