Mavs' Mark Cuban Felt Like He 'Let People Down' After Luka Doncic, Lakers Trade

The Dallas Mavericks are still adjusting to life without star guard Luka Doncic after shockingly trading him to the Los Angeles Lakers, and former majority owner Mark Cuban admits that he took on some of the blame.

"We all were hurt when Luka got traded, me as much as anyone, because I felt like I let people down by not being there," Cuban said during an appearance on the DLLS Mavs Podcast. "But, what's done is done."

Cuban no longer has controlling interest in the Mavs after selling the majority stake in the franchise to the Dumont Family. General manager Nico Harrison was the primary architect of the Doncic trade, and majority owner Patrick Dumont signed off on it.

In the aftermath of the trade, Cuban made it clear that he was caught off guard by the deal and didn't have a hand in the decision.

"We weren't best buddies, but I would text him all the time and DM him," Cuban said of his relationship with Doncic during an appearance on the Your Mom's House podcast in March. "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."

Now, Cuban knows that the Mavs have no choice but to turn the page. Dallas was fortunate to land the No. 1 pick in the 2025 NBA draft and select Cooper Flagg, who is projected to be a future star. Cuban said he feels the morale in Dallas will improve once Flagg reaches his full potential.

"Coop's the real deal. He's not even 19 years old," he said. "He could literally, depending on science, play for the Mavs for 25 years. I'm guessing if we do well and win, those sentiments will change."