Mark Cuban was interested in getting his team back.
The billionaire sold 73 percent of his stake in the Mavericks to the Adelson family for $3.5 million in December 2023 after 23 years as an owner, only to see the franchise’s fortunes take a turn for the worse in the years that followed – including the ill-fated trade of superstar Luka Doncic to the Lakers in February 2025.
Dallas, which currently has NBA Rookie of the Year Cooper Flagg, still missed the playoffs over the past two seasons, with a combined record of 65-99, after losing in the NBA Finals in 2023-24. Injuries to aging stars Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving have been the main culprit.
The 67-year-old Cuban, who was outspoken against the Doncic trade, was asked by FrontOffice Sports if he was interested in buying back the club and was clear about his willingness to do so and the hurdles that way face.
“If there was any chance of being able to do that anymore, I would, but that’s just not the game anymore,” he said.
Cuban, who still owns 27 percent of the team, noted that “a bunch of people” contacted him, unhappy with the direction of the franchise. He was willing to do his part to get control of the team back if the Adelsons were interested in selling, but strongly believed that wasn’t a viable scenario.
“ I was like, ‘Look, if you can get them to sell, I would be more than happy to contribute my equity, et cetera, et cetera, and help.’ But I didn’t expect that to materialize,” Cuban said. “I told them I didn’t think it would happen, that I didn’t think the Adelsons had any interest in selling. And they don’t.”
Such a proposition could grow even more expensive in the coming years as the Adelsons have the option to buy 20 percent more of the Mavericks from Cuban within four years of ownership.
Cuban, who saw the Mavericks win the 2011 NBA championship during his stewardship, expressed mixed feelings about the sale itself during an appearance on the “Intersections” podcast in late March.
“I don’t regret selling,” Cuban said. “I regret who I sold to. I made a lot of mistakes in the process, and I’ll leave it at that.”