Mark Cuban expressed his frustration over the Mavs trade of Luka Doncic, stating that he didn't agree with the decision and adding, "I don't get it either," while revealing that the news affected his family, particularly when his daughter had to hide at a part.
Mark Cuban earlier criticized the Dallas Mavericks for trading ex-franchise face Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers in exchange for injury-prone big man Anthony Davis, saying they should have gotten a better deal and taking a jab at the front office's communication.
Luka Doncic
| Team: |
Los Angeles Lakers |
| Position: | PG, SG |
| Age: | 26 |
| Height: | 201 cm |
| Weight: | 104 kg |
| Birth place: | Ljubljana, Slovenia |
Now, he recalled how everything went on that decisive night.
"I was in Florida, and it was late," he told Kirk Henderson. "I got a text, and it was from our general manager [Nico Harrison]. I thought he was asking me what I thought, then I realized very quickly he was telling me what happened, and I told him I didn't agree with it."
The Cuban family felt the impact of trade immediately.
"My daughter was at a party and had to hide when it came out," the Mavs minority owner admitted.
"I don't get it either," Cuban also shared how he feels. "After I sold the Mavericks, the new owner Patrick Dumont decided that 'Ok, in Nico we trust.' So, here we are."
"With Luka, we weren't best buddies, but I would text him all the time and DM him, and I would give him all these motivational quotes," he went on to say. "I even gave him books and stuff to read. We had a good relationship and got along great with his dad [Sasa Doncic]. I mean, I was just as dumbfounded as everybody else."
Cuban reportedly tried to block the trade for Anthony Davis, but since becoming a minority stakeholder, he has lost much of his influence over team decisions.
He has always maintained a strong connection with Doncic, even traveling to support him in international competitions, such as attending FIBA EuroBasket 2022 in Germany.
The trade eventually has backfired for the Mavs, with AD sidelined due to an adductor injury in his first game and Kyrie Irving recently suffering an ACL tear. As a result, the team's "win-now" approach may need to shift its focus to the next season.
Like what we are doing? Support us by becoming BN+ member.
